CHICAGO – Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), announced the scheduled annual increase in Chicago’s minimum wage, additional enforcement provisions of the Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance, and a scheduled enhancement of the Fair Workweek Ordinance requirements. These changes will go into effect on July 1, 2025, and are part of Mayor Johnson’s ongoing commitment to promote fairness and dignity for working people. To view informational flyers, Frequently Asked Questions, and public notices on Chicago’s labor laws, visit Chicago.gov/Labor Standards.

“Chicago is the most pro-worker city in the country, and our labor laws demonstrate our commitment to treating working people with dignity and fairness,” said Mayor Johnson. “I am proud to see the minimum wage increase and additional protections for workers go into effect this year. Chicago’s workers and their families are the backbone of our city and they deserve to be paid fairly and valued. These are essential steps to build safe, affordable, and thriving communities.”

“Chicago’s labor laws reflect our city’s values, ensuring workers receive the wages and protection they deserve, while holding employers accountable,” said BACP Commissioner Ivan Capifali. “Our top priority is ensuring workers and employers alike understand their rights and responsibilities. Through education and resources on labor laws, we are building a strong, equitable workforce for all.”

Every July 1, Chicago’s minimum wage increases per the Minimum Wage Ordinance. The minimum wage increases annually according to changes to the Consumer Price Index or 2.5%, whichever is lower. Beginning July 1, 2025:  

• The minimum wage will be $16.60.
• The minimum wage for subsidized youth employment programs and subsidized transitional employment programs will be $16.50.
• Under the One Fair Wage Ordinance, the wages of tipped workers such as restaurant servers, bartenders, bussers and runners who earn a subminimum wage of $12.62 per hour will increase by 8 percent per year until it reaches parity with Chicago’s standard hourly minimum wage on July 1, 2028.

Under the Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance, workers are guaranteed up to five days of paid leave and five days of paid sick leave for all of Chicago’s workers for employees who work at least 80 hours within any 120-day period.

Under the Paid Leave requirements:

• Employees accrue at a rate of 1 hour of paid leave for every 35 hours worked (up to 40 hours in a 12-month benefit period)
• Employees must be allowed to use accrued paid leave no later than on the 90th day following the commitment of employment
• Employees can carry over up to 16 hours between 12-month periods (if paid leave is not front loaded).
• Employees can use paid leave for any reason

Under the Paid Sick and Safe Leave requirements:

• Employees accrue at a rate of 1 hour of sick leave for every 35 hours worked (up to 40 hours in a 12-month period)
• Employees must be allowed to use accrued sick leave no later than on the 30th day following the commitment of employment
• Employees can carry over up to 80 hours between 12-month benefit periods
• Employees can use paid sick leave for medical and safety reasons

Additionally, on July 1, 2025, the Fair Workweek Ordinance will include updated compensation metrics. Employees will be covered by the ordinance if they work in one of seven “covered” industries (building services, healthcare, hotel, manufacturing, restaurant, retail, or warehouse services), earn less than or equal to $32.60/hour or earn less than or equal to $62,561.90/year and the employer has at least 100 employees globally (250 employees and 30 locations if operating a restaurant). The Fair Workweek Ordinance requires certain employers to provide workers with predictable work schedules and compensation for changes.

BACP will host free informational webinars to prepare workers and employers for the upcoming changes to Chicago’s labor laws. The webinar schedule is as follows: · Tuesday, June 10 at 10:00 a.m.: Updates to Chicago’s Labor Protections (presented in English)

• Thursday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m.: Updates to Chicago’s Labor Protections (presented in Spanish)/Actualizaciones a las Protecciones Laborales de Chicago (presentado en español)
• Tuesday, June 24 at 2:00 p.m.: Updates to Chicago’s Labor Protections (presented in Spanish)/Actualizaciones a las Protecciones Laborales de Chicago (presentado en español)
• Thursday, June 26 at 2:00 p.m.: Updates to Chicago’s Labor Protections (presented in English)

To register for the webinars, visit Chicago.gov/BACPwebinars.

Chicago businesses are required to post Public Notices for the following Chicago Labor Laws at their business: Minimum Wage, Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave and Fair Workweek. The public notices are available to workers and business owners in English, Spanish, Polish, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Hindi, Nepali and Urdu. To download the public notices, visit Chicago.gov/LaborStandards.

All Chicago worker protections are enforced by the BACP Office of Labor Standards (OLS). The OLS is dedicated to promoting and enforcing Chicago’s labor laws. To file a labor standards complaint, workers can use the CHI 311 system (call 3-1-1, use the CHI311 mobile app, or visit 311.chicago.gov) or complete a Complaint Form. For information on Chicago’s Labor Laws, visit Chicago.gov/LaborStandards.

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