This Labor Day, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is honoring the contributions of workers across the state and highlighting the Department’s ongoing efforts to uphold workers’ rights, economic security, and safety.
Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan says on Labor Day IDOL reaffirms its commitment to workers across Illinois. She reports from enforcing the minimum wage law and safeguarding children from dangerous work, to ensuring fair pay and promoting safe workplaces, their mission is clear: to protect and advance the rights of every worker in this state.
The 2025 Labor Day Report outlines the progress IDOL has made over the past year, including:
- Protecting Paychecks: IDOL recovered almost $3 million dollars in back wage payments and secured nearly $5 million dollars in penalties from employers who violated labor laws.
- Strengthening Worker Rights:Illinois’ minimum wage reached $15 per hour on January 1, 2025, and provided new protections for workers’ rights to see and access their pay stubs.
- Protecting Children:IDOL and the Attorney General’s Office reached a landmark child labor settlement that addressed serious labor violations, resulting in a $4.5 million agreement to compensate impacted workers and strengthen compliance.
- Pay Transparency: IDOL began enforcing the Pay Transparency Act that requires mid-size and large employers to include information about anticipated compensation and benefits in job postings.
- Resolving Wage Claims: Through its newly launched Informal Resolution and Mediation Unit, IDOL resolved over 460 wage claims for individuals owed small amounts of back wages.
- Promoting Workplace Safety:IDOL partnered with employers and unions on training and safety initiatives, including a major construction safety partnership and new firefighter safety resources.
The 2025 Labor Day Report is available on the Department’s website.
