The Illinois legislature and Governor Rod Blagojevich have been busy enacting new laws or amendments to laws that will have a major impact on employers across the state next year. Much Shelist devotes the entire November 2007 issue of the Litigation & Counseling Alert to this important topic.

The following articles provide an overview of these laws and amendments, as well as information on how they will affect Illinois employers, and what steps you should take before they go into effect on January 1, 2008. Click any of the links below or to the left to access the articles.

• Illinois Human Rights Act Amended to Give Employees Direct Access to
  Illinois State Court and Jury Trials in Discrimination Complaints 
   
• New Illinois Law Provides Penalties for Misclassifying Persons Performing Construction Work as Independent Contractors 
   
• Smoke Free Illinois Act to Affect All Employers in the State 
   
• Illinois Prohibits Employers from Enrolling in the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify Program

Additionally, the federal government has issued a new Form I-9 that all employers should begin using immediately.

• Federal Government Issues New Form I-9

The authors, Irving M. Geslewitz and Anne E. Larson, encourage you to contact them to discuss the implications of these changes for your organization.