On July 31, 2026, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 4844, now Public Act 104-0683, amending the Illinois Jury Act and the Illinois Jury Commission Act. Effective January 1, 2027, the law will require Illinois employers with 26 or more employees to provide paid leave to eligible employees for time spent serving on a jury.

What the Law Requires

Starting January 1, 2027, covered Illinois employers must pay eligible employees their regular rate of pay for time missed from work while serving on a jury.

• Pay Rate: Employees must be paid at their regular rate of pay for the hours or days they miss because of jury service.
  • The statute does not define “regular rate of pay,” leaving open whether the term should be interpreted consistently with the Fair Labor Standards Act and similar Illinois wage laws or as a reference to the employee’s standard hourly rate. 
• No Statutory Cap: The law does not establish a maximum number of compensable hours or days for jury service.
• Enforcement and Penalties: Employees may bring private civil actions for alleged violations, and employers may face liability for lost wages, court costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees.

What Stays the Same

The legislation does not alter several core obligations already found in Illinois’ jury duty statutes:

• Notice Requirements: Employees must continue to provide reasonable notice by giving their employer a copy of the jury summons within 10 days after it is issued.
• Anti-Retaliation Protections: Employers may not discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce an employee because the employee is scheduled to serve, or has served, on a jury.
• Shift Accommodations: Employers must provide time off regardless of an employee’s scheduled shift.  For example, a night-shift employee may not be required to work the regular night shift on a day the employee reports for jury service.

The Small Employer Exemption

The paid jury leave requirement applies only to Illinois employers with more than 25 employees. Employers with 25 or fewer employees are exempt from the new paid-leave mandate.

However, small employers remain subject to existing jury duty obligations, including anti-retaliation protections, notice-related provisions, and job-protected unpaid leave requirements.

Employer Action Items

With the January 1, 2027 effective date approaching, employers should consider the following steps:

1. Confirm Coverage: Review employee headcount to determine whether the organization meets the 26-or-more employee threshold. Multi-state and remote employers should consult counsel regarding how out-of-state employees may affect the count.
2. Update Handbooks and Leave Policies: Revise jury duty and leave policies to reflect paid jury leave obligations for covered employees.
3. Configure Payroll and Timekeeping Systems: Create appropriate pay codes or earning categories for jury service to support accurate tracking and payment.
4. Standardize Intake Procedures: Establish a consistent process for receiving, verifying, and documenting jury summonses within the required 10-day period.
5. Train Managers and Supervisors: Educate managers on scheduling accommodations, the prohibition against retaliation, and the proper response when an employee presents a jury summons.