CHICAGO — A trailer ordinance was added to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new paid leave law and approved by the Chicago City Council on Wednesday, Dec. 13, with trade shows and conventions in mind.
This amendment makes a major change to the definition of covered employee, and no longer covers most business travelers coming to Chicago for conventions and meetings.
“While the amendments to Chicago’s paid leave ordinance are certainly not perfect, we appreciate the efforts of City Council members to address one of the most concerning flaws in the measure by amending the definition of a covered employee to make it less ambiguous. As Chicago’s hospitality industry continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must do everything we can to attract meetings and events to our city. This change is a step in the right direction, as it makes clear that business travelers and trade show attendees simply visiting Chicago are not the intended target of the legislation. This amendment sends the right message: Chicago remains open for business travelers, conferences and conventions,” said Michael Jacobson, president and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA).
The paid leave law provided that if an individual attended a trade show or conference in Chicago and was in town for more than two hours, he or she would have begun accruing one hour of sick leave and one hour of vacation time for every 35 hours worked. Even if the employee did not work a full 35 hours during one trip, the employer would have had to begin keeping records to track when the employee would begin accruing paid leave on subsequent trips. It would also have had to comply with the requirement to provide notice to an employee of his or her rights under the ordinance after spending only two hours in Chicago.
“Over the past several weeks, we have been speaking with convention customers to understand the impact of the paid leave ordinance and sharing our feedback with our colleagues at the City of Chicago. We applaud the changes passed today by the City Council and will continue to work closely with the City and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) to share updated information with our customers,” Choose Chicago said in a statement.
Additionally, the new order introduces a time limit for the private right of action for breaches, giving employers 16 days from the date of the breach to address the issue before potentially facing legal action.
The amendment also pushes tThe effective date of the paid leave law is postponed by six months to July 1, 2024.
Check out this article from Chicago Tribune with original reporting by Trade Show Executive.
Contact Michael Jacobson at MJacobson@illinoishotels.org