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ALTON — State Rep. Dan Beiser, D-Alton, recently supported House Bill 6162, an initiative for AARP Illinois, which allows the use of sick time for individuals to care for a loved one.
“House Bill 6162 will expand the way in which employees are able to use their existing earned time,” said Beiser. “If the Governor signs this measure into law, employees will be able to use their earned time to care for loved ones without fear of retaliation or penalization from their workplace.”
According to AARP Illinois, six out of every ten family caregivers in Illinois make sacrifices at work due to their responsibility to their family member including reducing hours, changing jobs or exiting the work force entirely. The bill that Beiser supported will allow an employee working in Illinois, no matter the industry, to use up to half of their accumulated sick leave benefits to help care for a family member experiencing illness, injury or attending medical appointments. The measure does not grant extra sick leave to employees. Instead, it simply expands the use of existing leave to include caregiving responsibilities.
“This measure will be very beneficial to employees that are caretakers, and it will not cost employers anything,” continued Beiser. “I hope the Governor will sign House Bill 6162 because it is a piece of common sense legislation and it received strong bipartisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly.”
House Bill 6162 passed the House on May 24 and was approved by the Senate on May 31. It now awaits action from the governor.
For more information on this or any state issue, please contact Beiser’s fulltime constituent service office at 618-465-5900 or dvbeiser@sbcglobal.net.
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