Illinois Crime Victims

Illinois Victims of Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) - 820 ILCS 180/1

Entitlement: The Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act ("VESSA") provides an employee who is a victim of domestic, gender, or sexual violence or who has a family or household member who is a victim of domestic, gender, or sexual violence with up to 12 weeks of leave. Leave may be taken on a continuous, intermittent or reduced schedule basis. The amount of leave is dependent upon the number of employees who work with the employer. An employer with 14-49 employees must provide 8 weeks of leave. An employer with 50+ employees must provide 12 weeks of leave. Effective 1/1/2017, this law has been expanded to employers with 1-14 employees, in which case they must provide 4 weeks of leave.

Family or household member means a spouse, parent (meaning a biological parent of an employee or an individual who stood in loco parentis), child (meaning a biological, adopted, or foster childen, a stepchild, a legal war, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, who is under age 18, or 18 and older but incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability), other person related by blood or by present or prior marriage, other person who shares a relationship through a child, and persons jointly residing in the same household.

Reasons for Leave:

Reasons for a leave under this law include:

  • Seeking medical attention for or recovery from physical or psychological injuries to the employee, family or household members

  • Obtaining victim services

  • Obtaining counseling services

  • Participating in safety planning including temporary or permanent relocation or other actions to increase the safety of the victim

  • Seeking legal assistance to ensure the physical and fiscal health and safety of the victim, including participating in court proceedings.

Certification Supporting the Need for Leave: Documentation supporting the need for leave may be required.

Paid? No, but the employee may choose to use their available paid time off concurrently

Benefits: Must continue for the duration of the leave

Reinstatement: Employees shall be reinstated to the same or an equivalent position

Absence Specifications

Concurrency

  • Only concurrent with Federal FMLA if there is an injury or illness that is an FMLA qualified event

Intake Trigger

  • Personal Protected Leave

Eligibility Requirements

  • 0 hours worked

  • 0 months of employment

  • All employers/worksites (but see below for entitlements by worksite size)

Length of time provided

  • 1-14 employees = 4 weeks

  • 15-49 Employees = 8 weeks

  • 50+ employees = 12 weeks

Calendar Type