Labor Law

The recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regarding updates to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has significant implications for schools across Illinois – and the nation. These changes, set to take effect on July 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025, respectively, may require significant shifts in how schools manage pay structures and payroll. Understanding these amendments is crucial for school boards and administrators as they navigate the complexities of compliance while balancing budgetary constraints and employment contracts.

Effective January 1, 2024, Public Act 103-0395 modified Section 24-2 of the School Code and added educational support personnel employees to the long-existing law that previously applied only to teachers for the purposes of legal or special holidays.  Section 24-2 now relevantly states, “No deduction shall be made from the time or compensation of a school employee, including an educational support personnel employee, on

Embedded within the federal omnibus spending bill approved by Congress and signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2022 was the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.  This new law creates federal protections for pregnant employees.  Specifically, the statute declares that it is an unlawful employment practice to: