Illinois state law gives workers 40 hours of paid leave per 12-month period — for any reason.
The Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAWA), effective January 1, 2024, requires nearly every Illinois employer to provide 40 hours of paid leave per 12-month period that workers can use for any reason. No medical documentation. No reason required. The Act's distinctive feature is the no-reason-needed nature: workers simply request the leave. Workers in Chicago and Cook County may be covered by separate ordinances that take precedence.
PLAWA Accrual & Usage
Tracks 1 hour per 40 worked accrual (or front-loaded option). Allows usage for any reason without documentation. Carries over to subsequent year subject to 40-hour cap unless employer agrees to more.
What those rules do as workers accrue and use PLAWA leave.
The hero card configuration: Flag on balance visibility, Avoid on retaliation-pattern risk.
Every Illinois worker's paystub displays current PLAWA balance, hours accrued in the period, and hours used. Visibility is part of compliance — workers need to see what they have.
When a worker who recently used PLAWA leave receives a schedule reduction, hour cut, or negative review, Teambridge surfaces an Avoid indicator. Retaliation under PLAWA is a separate violation with its own penalties.
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Accrual or front-load — and no reason required.
PLAWA's most distinctive feature is the no-reason-required nature of the leave. Unlike traditional sick leave (which usually requires a covered reason), PLAWA leave is for anything: medical, family, vacation, mental health, civic engagement, or no stated reason at all.
Accrual or front-load options
Employers can choose: (a) accrual at 1 hour per 40 hours worked, or (b) front-load 40 hours at the start of the 12-month period. Front-loading eliminates accrual tracking but requires giving the full 40 immediately. Accrual is more common but requires per-pay-period calculation.
No reason or documentation
Workers can use PLAWA leave for any reason. Employers cannot require a stated reason, doctor's note, or any other documentation. Employers also cannot require the worker to find a replacement worker as a condition of taking leave. The 'no documentation' rule is what differentiates PLAWA from traditional sick leave.
Teambridge tracks accrual, surfaces balance, and prevents retaliation patterns.
PLAWA's no-documentation rule sounds simple but creates operational complexity around tracking, paystub display, and retaliation risk.
Accrual or front-load chosen.
At employer setup, the PLAWA method (accrual at 1/40 or front-load 40) is selected. Method changes mid-period can complicate tracking and require careful migration.
Auto-accrue 1 hr per 40 worked.
For accrual-method employers, every 40 hours of work earns 1 hour of PLAWA leave. The accrual runs per pay period and is logged for audit.
Balance visible every period.
Each paystub shows: PLAWA hours accrued in the period, hours used, current balance, and the 40-hour cap. Visibility is required by the Act.
No reason required, manager can't deny.
When a worker requests PLAWA leave, the request can be approved without a stated reason. Managers cannot require documentation or replacement-finding. Denials are limited to 'reasonable operational' grounds with audit trail.
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