Sick Leave/Illinois
Illinois Paid Sick Leave 2026
How much paid sick leave the state requires, how it accrues, what it covers, and the local ordinances on top. Every figure below is checked against the statute and agency guidance.
40 Hours a Year, Any Reason
Yes, and the leave can be used for any reason at all
| The law | Paid Leave for All Workers Act (820 ILCS 192) |
|---|---|
| Annual amount (state floor) | Up to 40 hours a year. |
| How leave is earned | 1 hour per 40 hours worked. An employer can front-load the full 40 hours instead of tracking accrual. |
| Depends on employer size? | No. |
| What it can be used for | Any reason at all. An employee does not have to be sick, and an employer cannot require documentation or even ask why the time is being taken. |
| Wait before first use | New hires can begin using leave after 90 days. |
City and county ordinances
Employers in the City of Chicago and in Cook County follow their local ordinances rather than the state act: the state law does not apply to an employer that was already covered by a local paid-leave ordinance in effect on January 1, 2024.
Chicago's ordinance is the most generous of the three. It provides two separate banks, up to 40 hours of paid sick leave and up to 40 hours of paid leave for any reason, for as much as 80 hours in a year, with leave earned at 1 hour of each type for every 35 hours worked.
The Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance mirrors the state at 40 hours. Cook County is a home-rule county, which means some of its municipalities have voted to opt out of the county ordinance; an employee in a suburb that has opted out is still covered by the Illinois state law's 40 hours.
Worth knowing
The Paid Leave for All Workers Act took effect on January 1, 2024.
Unused time does not have to be paid out at separation unless it was folded into a general paid-time-off bank.
Questions employers ask
How much paid sick leave do Illinois employees get in 2026?
Up to 40 hours of paid leave a year under the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, earned at 1 hour per 40 hours worked, and usable for any reason at all. Employers in Chicago provide more: up to 80 hours a year across two banks under the city's own ordinance.
Can an Illinois employer ask why an employee is taking paid leave?
No. Under the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, leave can be used for any reason, and an employer cannot require documentation or even ask why the time is being taken.
Do Chicago employers follow the Illinois state sick-leave law?
No. The Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act does not apply to employers already covered by a local ordinance that was in effect on January 1, 2024. Employers in the City of Chicago and in Cook County follow their local ordinances instead. Chicago's provides up to 40 hours of paid sick leave and up to 40 hours of paid leave for any reason.
What applies in a Cook County suburb that opted out of the county ordinance?
The Illinois state law. Cook County is a home-rule county and some municipalities have voted to opt out of the county paid-leave ordinance; employees there are still covered by the state act's 40 hours.
Sources and caveats
Caveat: The City of Chicago publishes its paid-leave guidance as a PDF FAQ from the Office of Labor Standards on chicago.gov; Chicago's figures were verified against that document on August 18, 2026.
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