Chicago City Council Requires Restaurants to Give Paid Sick Days to Workers

In a move that will affect Chicago restaurants, the City Council unanimously today approved legislation mandating city employers to grant their employees at least five-paid sick days annually. This makes Chicago the 25th city to adopt such legislation, joining New York, Seattle, Minneapolis and others, according to the Sun-Times.

Construction companies are exempt from the law. Labor groups, such as the Restaurant Opportunity Center, have supported the change, saying it will especially help workers better tend to their families without fear of losing their jobs. Workers would be eligible for sick days after working their jobs for six months. Some business groups have balked at the measure, saying it would increase their overhead costs.