Legislation requiring Illinois employers to give workers time off based on hours worked, to be used for any reason, is ready for action by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who said he will sign it. While most modern nations already have laws like this, only Maine and Nevada offer guaranteed paid vacation. This law will not require employees to disclose why they need time off, only that they follow the procedures in place by their employer to ask for the time off.

Seasonal workers such as lifeguards will be exempt, as will federal employees or college students who work non-full-time, temporary jobs for their university.

The legislation, if passed, would go into action on January 1, 2024. Employees will garner one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked up to 40 hours total, although the employer may offer more. Employees can start using the time once they have worked for 90 days.