Marcus is leading his voice in the General Assembly on economic and future of work-related issues. “I am proud to have been selected to serve as Chairman of Labor & Commerce for the 103rd General Assembly and look forward to impacting Illinois’ business community and the workforce”. Marcus leverages his personal & professional experience to advocate for legislation that boosts start-up business growth, regional economic development, and labor improvements.
Legislation Passed as Chairman of Labor and Commerce Committee
SB 208 - Paid Leave for All
- Status: Public Act, Effective January 1, 2024
- What it does:
- Requires employers with at least 5 employees to allow employees to earn 40 hours of paid leave to be used for any reason.
- Employees can use the days for any reason and an employer may not require an employee to search for or find a replacement.
- Gives the Department of Labor the tools and clear guidelines to penalize employers who violate the provisions
- The law will give more than 1.5 million Illinoisans a new benefit at work
- Status: Public Act, Effective July 1, 2023
- What it does:
- Requires Construction contractors and subcontractors to post a notice informing workers that the primary contractor is responsible for paying any unpaid wages owed.
- The hope is that this will help iron out payment disputes and allow workers to know their rights.
- A primary contractor or subcontractor who fails to provide notice as required shall be subject to a civil penalty, not to exceed $250, payable to the Department of Labor.
- Status: Public Act, Effective June 30, 2023
- What it does:
- Gives the Illinois Department of Labor more time to locate employees who are owed unpaid wages.
- Mandates that the unpaid wages recovered by the Department of Labor will be put in a fund that the Department will use to pay employees who were the victim of wage theft.
- Gives employees a year from the time they last worked for the offending employer to contact IDOL and fill out a wage complaint form.
- Status: Public Act, Effective Date February 19, 2019
- What it does:
- Annually raises the state minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 per hour by January 1, 2025. Currently, it sits at $13 per hour.
- Increase wages for 1.4 million workers
- Provide up to an estimated $12,600 more per year for working families.
- Lift 200,000 Illinois families out of poverty.
- Status: Public Act, Effective August 4, 2023
- What it does:
- Requires workers assigned to a position for more than 90 days to be paid the same as workers at the company full-time.
- Requires that staffing agencies provide general and specific training on workplace hazards a worker will encounter.
- Allows temporary workers to refuse assignments where there is a strike or lockout ongoing and receive another assignment.
- Status: Public Act, Effective January 1, 2025
- What it does:
- Employers with 15 or more employees must post the pay scale and benefits with each job posting
- It meant to close the wage gap that disenfranchised people have seen throughout all professions including women, veterans, people of color, and returning citizens.
- Allows workers to know what their work should get them in terms of compensation.
- Status: Public Act, Effective January 1, 2022
- What it does:
- Creates assistance centers to prepare individuals from historically marginalized communities to pursue business opportunities across Illinois. Assisting disadvantaged businesses with planning, training, grants, and more.
- October 13, 2023, DCEO opened grants to establish the centers in October 2023 and expects the centers to be fully operating by 2025.
- Status: Illinois voters approved the constitutional amendment
- What it does:
- Amends the Illinois Constitution to include that it is a fundamental right for employees to organize and collectively bargain for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work.
- Status: Public Act, Effective July 1, 2024
- What it does:
- Requires employers to give compensation to freelance workers no later than 30 days after their work is completed.
- Business and Industry Innovation Committee
- Ethics & Elections Committee
- Executive Committee
- Income Tax Subcommittee
- Occupational Licenses Committee
- Public Health Committee
- Revenue & Finance Committee
- Transportation: Regulations, Roads & Bridges Committee