Illinois: Increased Protections for Sexual Violence Victims Serving in the Military
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APPLIES TO All Employers with IL Employees |
EFFECTIVE May 19, 2022 |
QUESTIONS? Contact HR On-Call |
Illinois recently passed Senate Bill 57, the primary purpose of which is to extend the authority of military protection orders beyond military bases. The law allows military legal authorities to file military protection orders in Illinois courts and give those orders the same authority as civilian protection orders.
The law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or potential employees because they attend, participate in, prepare for, or request leave to attend a proceeding subject to the Uniform Code of Military justice when the proceeding relates to an incident of domestic, sexual, gender, or criminal violence. Employees and potential employees are protected if they or their family or household member is the victim.
The law also extends the protections of the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) to victims of military sexual violence. Under VESSA, employees may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period if they are victims of violence who are seeking medical help, legal assistance, counseling, safety planning, or other assistance.
Action Items
- Have harassment and leave policies updated for compliance.
- Have appropriate personnel trained on the requirements.
- Subscribers can call our HR On-Call Hotline at (888) 378-2456 for further assistance.
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