On July 1, 2022, the City of Chicago and Cook County are set to raise their minimum wages for tipped and non-tipped employees pursuant to their respective Minimum Wage Ordinances. Each Minimum Wage Ordinance imposes different obligations on employers with respect to minimum wage increases, and providing employees with notice about their rights.

For the City of Chicago, the minimum wage for non-tipped employees will increase to $14.50/hour for employers with 4-20 employees and $15.40/hour for employers with 21 or more employees. The minimum wage for tipped employees will increase to $8.70/hour for employers with 4-20 employees and $9.24/hour for employers with 21 or more employees.

For Cook County, if a municipality did not opt out of the Minimum Wage Ordinance, the minimum wage for non-tipped employees will increase to $13.35/hour and for tipped employees will increase to $7.40/hour. If a municipality did opt out, the Illinois minimum wage applies. The Illinois minimum wage for non-tipped employees is $12.00/hour, the minimum wage for tipped employees is $7.20/hour, and the minimum wage for employees under the age of 18 who work less than 650 hours per calendar year is $9.25/hour.

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding your obligations or rights in connection with the City of Chicago Minimum Wage Ordinance and/or the Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance, please contact the authors of this alert or any of the attorneys in GCT’s Employment Law Practice Group.