Employers in Illinois must now allow workers 2 weeks’ unpaid leave for the death of a child. Illinois appears to be the second state to mandate bereavement leave for private employers; Oregon adopted a similar measure in 2014.
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Illinois’ Child Bereavement Leave Act took effect July 29 and builds on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): both employers and employees are covered if they are subject to the FMLA. The state law notes that it does not increase an employee’s FMLA allotment. Instead, it effectively adds leave for the death of a child to the reasons that an employee in Illinois may use FMLA.