Public Accountability Report

The mission of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is to promote and protect the rights, wages, welfare, working conditions, safety and health of Illinois workers, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, color or sexual orientation.  This is done through enforcement of state labor laws to safeguard the public.  In addition, the department regulates amusement rides and ensures compliance with all other labor standards. 

IDOL is responsible for the administration and enforcement of over 25 labor and safety laws.  It is organized into six major areas:  Administration, Fair Labor Standards, Conciliation and Mediation, Illinois OSHA, Leave Rights, Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety and Legal.

The Conciliation and Mediation Division (ConMed) enforces 13 State labor laws, including the Prevailing Wage Act, the Equal Pay Act of 2003, the Employee Classification Act, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, and the Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act.  This division will oversee implementation of new provisions under the Equal Pay Act, which will take effect January 1, 2025, that require employers to include anticipated salary ranges in all job postings (PA 103-159). IDOL anticipates that this increase in overall Equal Pay Act requirements and enforcement may result in increased collection of penalties. 

The Fair Labor Standards Division (FLS) enforces our state’s fundamental labor and employment laws, including but not limited to the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, Minimum Wage Law, Child Labor Law, Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, and One Day Rest in Seven Act. These laws help workers across Illinois, by ensuring they are paid accurately and on time, and that they receive appropriate meal and rest breaks.  FLS receives the most complaints and has the heaviest case load in the Department. In fiscal year 2024, FLS received nearly 6,000 wage payment and collection claims, an increase of 1,200 claims over fiscal year 2023.  The department is looking to restructure this division in the next calendar year.

The Illinois OSHA Division protects the health and safety of public employees through the inspection, investigation and evaluation of public facilities and working conditions to ensure compliance with occupational safety and health standards and conducts educational and advisory activities to assure safe and healthy working conditions. The Illinois On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Program helps Illinois businesses meet the Federal OSHA health and safety regulations. The free consultation process is completely voluntary and primarily targeted for small to medium-sized businesses.  The consultation program conducted 374 on-site visits in fiscal year 2024, which translated into 36,074 employees whose health and safety were improved in the workplace.

The Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety division annually inspects amusement rides and attractions open to the public to ensure they meet safety standards, including criminal history records checks and sex offender registry checks on carnival workers employed in Illinois.  In fiscal year 2024, the division conducted 3,768 amusement ride inspections.

The Legal Division provides legal advice to the Director and each division, oversees all legal functions of IDOL and conducts informal investigative hearings, as well as formal administrative hearings on the statutes enforced by the Department. The division also enforces the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act and the Personnel Records Review Act.  The legal division has grown in 2024 with additional administrative law judges and support staff.

New to the department in 2024 is the Leave Rights Division.  It was created to begin enforcement of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (820 ILCS 192), which became effective January 1, 2024.  The department transitioned other leave laws to this division, including, Child Extended Bereavement Leave Act, Employee Sick Leave Act, and Family Bereavement Leave Act.  It has a staff of four, has received 313 complaints under the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, and has conducted nearly 40 compliance trainings for employers and employees to understand the new Paid Leave for All Workers Act.

The Administration Division provides support services and overall administrative resources to each of the program divisions. These support services include Fiscal, Information Technology, Legislative Liaison, Public Information Officer and Human Resources.  The department’s headcount continues to grow.  At the beginning of fiscal year 2024, our headcount was 106; at the beginning of fiscal year 2025, our headcount was 115.