The Chicago City Council enacted amendments to the City’s Human Rights Ordinance that take effect July 1, 2022. The amendments:
- Expand the definitions of the sexual harassment and sexual orientation;
- Require new written policy and notice content;
- Require more extensive harassment training;
- Establish a longer statute of limitations for employees to file complaints under the City’s Human Rights Ordinance and a longer period for the Commission to notify employers of such complaints; and
- Impose new penalties for failing to comply with notice, posting, and training requirements and steeper penalties for remaining provisions of violating the Human Rights Ordinance.
The City’s Ordinance applies to companies employing at least one employee within the city. Therefore, the amendments apply to virtually every Chicago employer.