Illinois' wage payment law is located in the Illinois Compiled Statutes, in the sections below.

Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (820 ILCS 115/ )

• (820 ILCS 115/2) Sec. 2. Definitions.
• (820 ILCS 115/3) Sec. 3. Pay periods. Commissions.
• (820 ILCS 115/4) Sec. 4. Timing and method of payment.
• (820 ILCS 115/5) Sec. 5. Final compensation and timing of payment.
• (820 ILCS 115/9) Sec. 9. Wage deductions.å
• (820 ILCS 115/14) Sec. 14. Refusal to pay wages. Retaliation.

This Act applies to all employers and employees in this State, including employees of units of local government and school districts, but excepting employees of the State or Federal governments.

Sec. 2.

For all employees, other than separated employees, "wages" shall be defined as any compensation owed an employee by an employer pursuant to an employment contract or agreement between the 2 parties, whether the amount is determined on a time, task, piece, or any other basis of calculation. Payments to separated employees shall be termed "final compensation" and shall be defined as wages, salaries, earned commissions, earned bonuses, and the monetary equivalent of earned vacation and earned holidays, and any other compensation owed the employee by the employer pursuant to an employment contract or agreement between the 2 parties. Where an employer is legally committed through a collective bargaining agreement or otherwise to make contributions to an employee benefit, trust or fund on the basis of a certain amount per hour, day, week or other period of time, the amount due from the employer to such employee benefit, trust, or fund shall be defined as "wage supplements", subject to the wage collection provisions of this Act. As used in this Act, the term "employer" shall include any individual, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, employment and labor placement agencies where wage payments are made directly or indirectly by the agency or business for work undertaken by employees under hire to a third party pursuant to a contract between the business or agency with the third party, or any person or group of persons acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee, for which one or more persons is gainfully employed. As used in this Act, the term "employee" shall include any individual permitted to work by an employer in an occupation, but shall not include any individual:

(1) who has been and will continue to be free from control and direction over the performance of his work, both under his contract of service with his employer and in fact; and

(2) who performs work which is either outside the usual course of business or is performed outside all of the places of business of the employer unless the employer is in the business of contracting with third parties for the placement of employees; and

(3) who is in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business. Sec. 14.

(a) Any employer or any agent of an employer, who, being able to pay wages, final compensation, or wage supplements and being under a duty to pay, wilfully refuses to pay as provided in this Act, or falsely denies the amount or validity thereof or that the same is due, with intent to secure for himself or other person any underpayment of such indebtedness or with intent to annoy, harass, oppress, hinder, delay or defraud the person to whom such indebtedness is due, upon conviction, is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. Each day during which any violation of this Act continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.

(b) Any employer who has been demanded by the Director of Labor or ordered by the court to pay wages due an employee and who shall fail to do so within 15 days after such demand or order is entered shall be liable to pay a penalty of 1% per calendar day to the employee for each day of delay in paying such wages to the employee up to an amount equal to twice the sum of unpaid wages due the employee.

(c) Any employer, or any agent of an employer, who knowingly discharges or in any other manner knowingly discriminates against any employee because that employee has made a complaint to his employer, or to the Director of Labor or his authorized representative, that he or she has not been paid in accordance with the provisions of this Act, or because that employee has caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this Act, or because that employee has testified or is about to testify in an investigation or proceeding under this Act, is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C misdemeanor.

Sec. 3.

Every employer shall be required, at least semi-monthly, to pay every employee all wages earned during the semi-monthly pay period. Wages of executive, administrative and professional employees, as defined in the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1939, may be paid once a month. Commissions may be paid once a month. At the request of a person employed by an employment or labor placement agency which, in the ordinary course of business, makes daily wage payments to employees, the agency shall hold the daily wages and make either weekly or semi-monthly payments. Upon the written request of the employee, the wage shall be paid in a single check representing the wages earned during the period, either weekly or semi-monthly, designated by the employee in accordance with Section 4 of this Act. Employment and labor placement agencies that make daily wage payments shall provide written notification to all daily wage payment employees of the right to request weekly or semi-monthly checks. The employer may provide this notice by conspicuously posting the notice at the location where the wages are received by the daily wage employees.

Sec. 4.

All wages earned by any employee during a semi-monthly or bi-weekly pay period shall be paid to such employee not later than 13 days after the end of the pay period in which such wages were earned. All wages earned by any employee during a weekly pay period shall be paid not later than 7 days after the end of the weekly pay period in which the wages were earned. All wages paid on a daily basis shall be paid insofar as possible on the same day as the wages were earned, or not later in any event than 24 hours after the day on which the wages were earned. Wages of executive, administrative and professional employees, as defined in the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, may be paid on or before 21 calendar days after the period during which they are earned.

The terms of this Section shall not apply, if there exists a valid collective bargaining agreement which provides for a different date or for different arrangements for the payment of wages.

Employers shall pay to workers on strike or layoff, no later than the next regular payday, all wages earned up to the time of such strike or layoff.

Any employee who is absent at the time fixed for payment, or who for any other reason is not paid at that time, shall be paid upon demand at any time within a period of 5 days after the time fixed for payment; and after the expiration of the 5 day period, payment shall be made upon 5 days demand. Payment to the absent employee shall be made by mail if the employee so requests in writing.

All wages and final compensation shall be paid in lawful money of the United States, by check, redeemable upon demand and without discount at a bank or other financial institution readily available to the employee, or by deposit of funds in an account in a bank or other financial institution designated by the employee. No employer may designate a particular financial institution, bank, savings bank, savings and loan, or currency exchange for the exclusive payment or deposit of a check for wages. No financial institution, bank, savings bank, savings and loan, or currency exchange shall refuse to honor a check for wages that exclusively designates, in violation of this Section, a particular bank, savings bank, savings and loan, or currency exchange as the exclusive place of payment or deposit except to the extent the bank, savings bank, savings and loan, or currency exchange is otherwise excused from honoring the check under Section 3-111 of the Uniform Commercial Code because the bank, savings bank, savings and loan, or currency exchange is not the drawee or the maker of the check.

Sec 5.

Every employer shall pay the final compensation of separated employees in full, at the time of separation, if possible, but in no case later than the next regularly scheduled payday for such employee. Where such employee requests in writing that his final compensation be paid by check and mailed to him, the employer shall comply with this request.

Unless otherwise provided in a collective bargaining agreement, whenever a contract of employment or employment policy provides for paid vacations, and an employee resigns or is terminated without having taken all vacation time earned in accordance with such contract of employment or employment policy, the monetary equivalent of all earned vacation shall be paid to him or her as part of his or her final compensation at his or her final rate of pay and no employment contract or employment policy shall provide for forfeiture of earned vacation time upon separation.

Sec 6.

The Director of the Department of Labor, or any other person in the Department designated by him, shall be authorized to assist any employee and act on his behalf in the collection of wages or final compensation due him, provided, however, that the Director, or his designee, may assist a class of employees and act in their behalf in a class action; or with respect to all employees of the class with respect to whom payments are due.

Sec 7.

The Department of Labor shall be authorized to enter into agreements with other states to collect unpaid wages from out-of-state employers and to perform reciprocal services for such states in the State of Illinois.

Sec. 8.

Where an employer is legally committed through a collective bargaining agreement, or otherwise to make contributions to an employee benefit, trust or fund on the basis of a certain amount per hour, day, week or other period of time, the amount due from the employer to such employee benefit, trust or fund shall be treated as wages, subject to the wage payment provisions of this Act.

Sec. 9.

Except as hereinafter provided, deductions by employers from wages or final compensation are prohibited unless such deductions are:

(1) required by law;

(2) to the benefit of the employee;

(3) in response to a valid wage assignment or wage deduction order;

(4) made with the express written consent of the employee, given freely at the time the deduction is made;

(5) made by a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, a community college district in a city with a population of 500,000 or more, a housing authority in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, or the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to pay a debt owed by the employee to a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the Cook County Forest Preserve, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education, or a housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more; provided, however, that the amount deducted from any one salary or wage payment shall not exceed 25% of the net amount of the payment; or

(6) made by a housing authority in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more or a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more to pay a debt owed by the employee to a housing authority in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more; provided, however, that the amount deducted from any one salary or wage payment shall not exceed 25% of the net amount of the payment. Before the municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, the community college district in a city with a population of 500,000 or more, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, a housing authority in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, the Chicago Board of Education, the county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, or the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District deducts any amount from any salary or wage of an employee to pay a debt owed to a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education, or a housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more under this Section, the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education, or a housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more shall certify that

(i) the employee has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to dispute the debt that is due and owing the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education, or a housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more and

(ii) the employee has received notice of a wage deduction order and has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to object to the order. Before a housing authority in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more or a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education, or a housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more deducts any amount from any salary or wage of an employee to pay a debt owed to a housing authority in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more under this Section, the housing authority shall certify that

(i) the employee has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to dispute the debt that is due and owing the housing authority and

(ii) the employee has received notice of a wage deduction order and has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to object to the order. For purposes of this Section, "net amount" means that part of the salary or wage payment remaining after the deduction of any amounts required by law to be deducted and "debt due and owing" means

(i) a specified sum of money owed to the municipality, county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education, or housing authority for services, work, or goods, after the period granted for payment has expired, or

(ii) a specified sum of money owed to the municipality, county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Board of Education or housing authority pursuant to a court order or order of an administrative hearing officer after the exhaustion of, or the failure to exhaust, judicial review. Where the legitimacy of any deduction from wages is in dispute, the amount in question may be withheld if the employer notifies the Department of Labor on the date the payment is due in writing of the amount that is being withheld and stating the reasons for which the payment is withheld. Upon such notification the Department of Labor shall conduct an investigation and render a judgment as promptly as possible, and shall complete such investigation within 30 days of receipt of the notification by the employer that wages have been withheld. The employer shall pay the wages due upon order of the Department of Labor within 15 calendar days of issuance of a judgment on the dispute.

The Department shall establish rules to protect the interests of both parties in cases of disputed deductions from wages. Such rules shall include reasonable limitations on the amount of deductions beyond those required by law which may be made during any pay period by any employer.

In case of a dispute over wages, the employer shall pay, without condition and within the time set by this Act, all wages or parts thereof, conceded by him to be due, leaving to the employee all remedies to which he may otherwise be entitled as to any balance claimed. The acceptance by an employee of a disputed paycheck shall not constitute a release as to the balance of his claim and any release or restrictive endorsement required by an employer as a condition to payment shall be a violation of this Act and shall be void.

Sec. 10.

Employers shall notify employees, at the time of hiring, of the rate of pay and of the time and place of payment. Whenever possible, such notification shall be in writing and shall be acknowledged by both parties. Employers shall also notify employees of any changes in the arrangements, specified above, prior to the time of change. Employers shall keep records of names and addresses of all employees and of wages paid each payday, and shall furnish each employee with an itemized statement of deductions made from his wages for each pay period. Every employer shall post and keep posted at each regular place of business in a position easily accessible to all employees one or more notices indicating the regular paydays and the place and time for payment of his employees, and on forms supplied from time to time by the Department of Labor containing a copy or summary of the provisions of this Act.

Sec. 11.

It shall be the duty of the Department of Labor to
inquire diligently for any violations of this Act, and to
institute the actions for penalties herein provided, and to
enforce generally the provisions of this Act.
    An employee may file a complaint with the Department
alleging violations of the Act by submitting a signed,
completed wage claim application on the form provided by the
Department and by submitting copies of all supporting
documentation. Complaints shall be filed within one year after
the wages, final compensation, or wage supplements were due.
    Applications shall be reviewed by the Department to
determine whether there is cause for investigation.
    The Department shall have the following powers:
        (a) To investigate and attempt equitably to adjust
    controversies between employees and employers in respect
    of wage claims arising under this Act and to that end the
    Department through the Director of Labor or any other
    person in the Department of Labor designated by him or her,
    shall have the power to administer oaths, subpoena and
    examine witnesses, to issue subpoenas duces tecum
    requiring the production of such books, papers, records and
    documents as may be evidence of any matter under inquiry
    and to examine and inspect the same as may relate to the
    question in dispute. Service of such subpoenas shall be
    made by any sheriff or any person. Any court in this State,
    upon the application of the Department may compel
    attendance of witnesses, the production of books and
    papers, and the giving of testimony before the Department
    by attachment for contempt or in any other way as the
    production of evidence may be compelled before such court.
        (b) To take assignments of wage claims in the name of
    the Director of Labor and his or her successors in office
    and prosecute actions for the collection of wages for
    persons financially unable to prosecute such claims when in
    the judgment of the Department such claims are valid and
    enforceable in the courts. No court costs or any fees for
    necessary process and proceedings shall be payable in
    advance by the Department for prosecuting such actions. In
    the event there is a judgment rendered against the
    defendant, the court shall assess as part of such judgment
    the costs of such proceeding. Upon collection of such
    judgments the Department shall pay from the proceeds of
    such judgment such costs to such person who is by law
    entitled to same. The Department may join in a single
    proceeding any number of wage claims against the same
    employer but the court shall have discretionary power to
    order a severance or separate trial for hearings.
        (c) To make complaint in any court of competent
    jurisdiction of violations of this Act.
        (d) In addition to the aforementioned powers, subject
    to appropriation, the Department may establish an
    administrative procedure to adjudicate claims and to issue final and       binding administrative decisions on such claims subject to the                 Administrative Review Law. To establish such a procedure, the               Director of Labor or her or his authorized representative may
    promulgate rules and regulations. The adoption, amendment
    or rescission of rules and regulations for such a procedure
    shall be in conformity with the requirements of the
    Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
    Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent any employee
from making complaint or prosecuting his or her own claim for
wages. Any employee aggrieved by a violation of this Act or any
rule adopted under this Act may file suit in circuit court of
Illinois, in the county where the alleged violation occurred or
where any employee who is party to the action resides, without
regard to exhaustion of any alternative administrative
remedies provided in this Act. Actions may be brought by one or
more employees for and on behalf of themselves and other
employees similarly situated.
    Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the authority of
the State's attorney of any county to prosecute actions for
violation of this Act or to enforce the provisions thereof
independently and without specific direction of the Department
of Labor.  (Effective 1/1/2014)

Sec 12.

The Director of Labor or his authorized representatives shall administer and enforce the provisions of this Act. In order to accomplish the objectives of this Act and to carry out the duties prescribed by this Act, the Director of Labor or his authorized representative shall, within one year from the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991, promulgate rules and regulations necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this Act including the procedures that shall be followed for hearings under Section 6 of this Act. The adoption, amendment or rescission of rules and regulations shall be in conformity with the requirements of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

Sec. 13.

Any officers of a corporation or agents of an employer who knowingly permit such employer to violate the provisions of this Act shall be deemed to be the employers of the employees of the corporation.

Sec. 14.

(a) Any employee not timely paid wages, final
compensation, or wage supplements by his or her employer as required by this Act shall be entitled to recover through a claim filed with the Department of Labor or in a civil action, but not both, the amount of any such underpayments and damages of 2% of the amount of any such underpayments for each month following the date of payment during which such underpayments remain unpaid. In a civil action, such employee shall also
recover costs and all reasonable attorney's fees.
    (a-5) In addition to the remedies provided in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Section, any employer or any agent of an employer, who, being able to pay wages, final compensation, or wage supplements and being under a duty to pay, wilfully refuses to pay as provided in this Act, or falsely denies the amount or validity thereof or that the same is due, with intent
to secure for himself or other person any underpayment of such indebtedness or with intent to annoy, harass, oppress, hinder, delay or defraud the person to whom such indebtedness is due, upon conviction, is guilty of:
        (1) for unpaid wages, final compensation or wage
    supplements in the amount of $5,000 or less, a Class B
    misdemeanor; or
        (2) for unpaid wages, final compensation or wage
    supplements in the amount of more than $5,000, a Class A misdemeanor.  Each day during which any violation of this Act continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
    Any employer or any agent of an employer who violates this Section of the Act a subsequent time within 2 years of a prior criminal conviction under this Section is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class 4 felony.
    (b) Any employer who has been demanded or ordered by the Department or ordered by the court to pay wages, final compensation, or wage supplements due an employee shall be required to pay a non-waivable administrative fee of $250 to the Department of Labor in the amount of $250 if the amount ordered by the Department as wages owed is $3,000 or less; $500
if the amount ordered by the Department as wages owed is more than $3,000, but less than $10,000; and $1,000 if the amount ordered by the Department as wages owed is $10,000 or more. Any employer who has been so demanded or ordered by the Department
or ordered by a court to pay such wages, final compensation, or wage supplements and who fails to seek timely review of such a demand or order as provided for under this Act and who fails to comply within 15 calendar days after such demand or within 35 days of an administrative or court order is entered shall also
be liable to pay a penalty to the Department of Labor of 20% of the amount found owing and a penalty to the employee of 1% per calendar day of the amount found owing for each day of delay in paying such wages to the employee. All moneys recovered as fees and civil penalties under this Act, except those owing to the
affected employee, shall be deposited into the Wage Theft
Enforcement Fund, a special fund which is hereby created in the State treasury. Moneys in the Fund may be used only for enforcement of this Act.
    (b-5) Penalties and fees under this Section may be assessed by the Department and recovered in a civil action brought by the Department in any circuit court or in any administrative adjudicative proceeding under this Act. In any such civil action or administrative adjudicative proceeding under this Act, the Department shall be represented by the Attorney General.
    (c) Any employer, or any agent of an employer, who
discharges or in any other manner discriminates against any employee because that employee has made a complaint to his employer, to the Director of Labor or his authorized representative, in a public hearing, or to a community organization that he or she has not been paid in accordance with the provisions of this Act, or because that employee has caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this Act, or because that employee has testified or is about to testify in an investigation or proceeding under this Act, is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C misdemeanor. An employee who has been unlawfully retaliated against shall be entitled to
recover through a claim filed with the Department of Labor or in a civil action, but not both, all legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. In a civil action, such employee shall also recover costs and all reasonable attorney's fees. (Effective 1/1/2014)

Day Labor Services Act

(820 ILCS 175/30) - Effective 1/1/06
Sec. 30. Wage Payment and Notice.

(a) At the time of payment of wages, a day and temporary labor service agency shall provide each day or temporary laborer with a detailed itemized statement, on the day or temporary laborer's paycheck stub or on a form approved by the Department, listing the following:

(1) the name, address, and telephone number of each third party client at which the day or temporary laborer worked. If this information is provided on the day or temporary laborer's paycheck stub, a code for each third party client may be used so long as the required information for each coded third party client is made available to the day or temporary laborer;"

(2) the number of hours worked by the day or temporary laborer at each third party client each day during the pay period;"

(3) the rate of payment for each hour worked, including any premium rate or bonus;

(4) the total pay period earnings;

(5) all deductions made from the day or temporary laborer's compensation made either by the third party client or by the day and temporary labor service agency, and the purpose for which deductions were made, including for the day or temporary laborer's transportation, food, equipment, withheld income tax, withheld social security payments, and every other deduction; and"

(6) any additional information required by rules issued by the Department.

(a-1) For each day or temporary laborer who is contracted to work a single day, the third party client shall, at the end of the work day, provide such day or temporary laborer with a Work Verification Form, approved by the Department, which shall contain the date, the day or temporary laborer's name, the work location, and the hours worked on that day. Any third party client who violates this subsection (a-1) may be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for each violation found by the Department. Such civil penalty may increase to $2,500 for a second or subsequent violation. For purposes of this subsection (a-1), each violation of this subsection (a-1) for each day or temporary laborer and for each day the violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct violation.

(b) A day and temporary labor service agency shall provide each worker an annual earnings summary within a reasonable time after the preceding calendar year, but in no case later than February 1. A day and temporary labor service agency shall, at the time of each wage payment, give notice to day or temporary laborers of the availability of the annual earnings summary or post such a notice in a conspicuous place in the public reception area.

(c) At the request of a day or temporary laborer, a day and temporary labor service agency shall hold the daily wages of the day or temporary laborer and make either weekly, bi-weekly, or semi-monthly payments. The wages shall be paid in a single check, or, at the day or temporary laborer's sole option, by direct deposit or other manner approved by the Department, representing the wages earned during the period, either weekly, bi-weekly, or semi-monthly, designated by the day or temporary laborer in accordance with the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Vouchers or any other method of payment which is not generally negotiable shall be prohibited as a method of payment of wages. Day and temporary labor service agencies that make daily wage payments shall provide written notification to all day or temporary laborers of the right to request weekly, bi-weekly, or semi-monthly checks. The day and temporary labor service agency may provide this notice by conspicuously posting the notice at the location where the wages are received by the day or temporary laborers.

(d) No day and temporary labor service agency shall charge any day or temporary laborer for cashing a check issued by the agency for wages earned by a day or temporary laborer who performed work through that agency.

(e) Day or temporary laborers shall be paid no less than the wage rate stated in the notice as provided in Section 10 of this Act for all the work performed on behalf of the third party client in addition to the work listed in the written description.

(f) The total amount deducted for meals, equipment, and transportation may not cause a day or temporary laborer's hourly wage to fall below the State or federal minimum wage. However, a day and temporary labor service agency may deduct the actual market value of reusable equipment provided to the day or temporary laborer by the day and temporary labor service agency which the day or temporary laborer fails to return, if the day or temporary laborer provides a written authorization for such deduction at the time the deduction is made.

(g) A day or temporary laborer who is contracted by a day and temporary labor service agency to work at a third party client's worksite but is not utilized by the third party client shall be paid by the day and temporary labor service agency for a minimum of 4 hours of pay at the agreed upon rate of pay. However, in the event the day and temporary labor service agency contracts the day or temporary laborer to work at another location during the same shift, the day or temporary laborer shall be paid by the day and temporary labor service agency for a minimum of 2 hours of pay at the agreed upon rate of pay.