Springfield, IL -- Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement on the passage of SB208, the Paid Leave for All Workers Act:

“Every working Illinoisan knows that sometimes unavoidable circumstances prevent you from doing your job. However, for too long we have refused to accept this inevitability and penalized workers for dealing with family emergencies, broken down cars, or any of the other life complications we all face. Now, I’m proud to say that the General Assembly has recognized that struggle and passed a bill guaranteeing five days of paid leave for all employees in our state.

Working families face enough challenges without the concern of losing a day’s pay when life gets in the way. I’m looking forward to signing this legislation and giving a safety net to hardworking Illinoisans. Thank you to all the legislators and advocates who championed this legislation and made this law possible, particularly Leader Gordon-Booth and Leader Lightford who have been on the forefront of this issue.”