About IDOL

The mission of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is to promote and protect the rights, wages, welfare, working conditions, safety and health of Illinois workers, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, color or sexual orientation.  This is done through enforcement of state labor laws to safeguard the public.  In addition, the department regulates amusement rides and ensures compliance with all other labor standards.  

IDOL is responsible for the administration and enforcement of 26 labor and safety laws.

The Department is organized into the following major areas:

The Department has three offices across the State; its headquarters located in Springfield, a fully operational administrative office in Chicago; as well as a regional office in Marion. All visitors to the offices must be prepared to show a valid photo ID.

​Location of Offices

Illinois Relay Center (800) 526-0844 (TTY users)

Office Hours

Offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm.

Department Functions/Resources

The Department has an annual budget of $12.8 million for Fiscal Year 2019 and an authorized staff of 93 full-time employees; including the Chicago, Springfield, Marion and field offices. 

IDOL Program Divisions

Fair Labor Standards (FLS) Division

FLS administers and enforces eight state labor laws, including the Minimum Wage/Overtime Law, Wage Payment and Collection Act, Child Labor Law, and the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act. The focus of the division is to ensure that workers are paid at the appropriate rate and in a timely manner, to assist workers in the collection of unpaid or underpaid wages and to protect minors and day laborers from harmful or abusive working conditions.

Conciliation and Mediation (Con/Med) Division​

Con/Med administers and enforces eleven state labor laws, including the Prevailing Wage Act, the Employee Classification Act, the Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act, the Employee Sick Leave Act, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The focus of the division is to ensure that workers are paid the appropriate prevailing wage rate on publicly-funded construction projects, to ensure that construction workers are not misclassified as independent contractors and to ensure workers are given 60 days notice of plant closings or mass layoffs.

Illinois OSHA

Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division

The Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety division annually inspects amusement rides and attractions open to the public to ensure they meet safety standards, including criminal history records checks and sex offender registry checks on carnival workers employed in Illinois.

Legal Division​

The Legal Division provides legal advice to the Director and each division, oversees all legal functions of IDOL and conducts informal investigative hearings, as well as formal administrative hearings on the statutes enforced by the Department. The division also enforces the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act and the Personnel Records Review Act.

Administration

The Administration Division provides support services and overall administrative resources to each of the program divisions. These support services include Fiscal, Information Technology, Legislative Liaison, Public Information Officer and Human Resources.

Department's Advisory Boards

Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Board

The Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Board consists of eight members, one of whom is the Director of Labor. The remaining seven members are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Of the seven appointed members of the Board, one must be an operator of amusement rides, one must be a registered professional engineer, one must represent the insurance industry, and one must represent the general public. The Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Board meets at least twice a year with meetings generally held in January and September. The Board advises the Department on rules for the safe installation, operation and maintenance of amusement rides, amusement attractions, trains, alpine slides, toboggan slides, ski lifts, rope tows and bungee jumping as required by the Act.

Labor Advisory Board​

The Labor Advisory Board (LAB) is comprised of 13 members representing labor, management and the public who are appointed by the Governor. The purpose of the Board is to provide a forum for interested parties to discuss issues affecting Illinois workers, including labor laws administered and enforced by the Department. The Board advises the Director of Labor regarding labor policy and enforcement of laws, reviews statutes enforced by the Department and provides recommendations regarding the Department's administrative regulations. The Board is mandated to meet quarterly, with meetings scheduled in March, June, September and December each year.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Under FOIA (5 ILCS 140/1-17), records in possession of government agencies may be accessed by the public upon written request. A public record may be any record, report, form, writing, letter, memoranda, book, paper, map, photograph, card, tape recording, electronic data processing record, recorded information and all other documentary material received, possessed or under control of a public body. Information regarding FOIA requests​

Other Inquiries

Inquiries or areas of concern that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Labor.