Ep. 45 - Illinois’ New Employment Laws of 2026

From increased workplace transparency to paid nursing breaks to background check requirements, many new laws and updates to existing legal framework are set to go into effect in Illinois at the start of 2026. As employment attorneys, Katie Rinkus and Hannah Savaso are here to help you stay on top of the biggest changes. In this episode, we'll walk you through what's changing and what both employees and businesses should be aware of heading into the new year. 

 

Tune in to hear Katie and Hannah discuss: 

 

• What Illinois now considers as "unlawful employment practices" 

• Which workplace leaves must now be paid 

• How state equal pay requirements are becoming more streamlined 

• Upcoming restrictions surrounding the use of AI during the hiring process 

• How Illinois is being proactive in preserving workers' safety protections that may be at risk 

 

Whether you're a business owner or an employee, keeping up to date with the changing workplace is essential. Give this episode a listen to learn what these changes might mean for you! 

 

Stay Connected and Learn More

 

Read our blog post on Illinois' New Laws in 2026 

 

Read Katie's blog post on changes to the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act 

 

Katie Rinkus 

 

Hannah Savaso 

 

The Prinz Law Firm