Preparing for the new Cook County wage theft ordinance

L&E Flash

By Jill S. Vorobiev

Jill S. Vorobiev is a member of Dykema, Gossett PLLC’s labor and employment group with an emphasis on labor and employment litigation. Her practice covers corporate clients in state and federal courts as well as before administrative agencies. Her experience includes matters under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the False Claims Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the National Labor Relations Act.

Posted March 30, 2015 3:00 PM

Updated April 21, 2015 6:42 PM

Effective May 1, employers in Cook County will be subject to a new Wage Theft Ordinance that imposes harsh penalties on businesses that violate federal or state wage-payment laws. The sanctions are wide-ranging, and the ordinance makes Cook County one of the nation’s leaders in combating wage theft. Why the new ordinance? The ordinance was introduced by Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski and co-sponsored by Board President Toni Preckwinkle and is intended to ensure that businesses that exploit low-wage …

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