SB 1485 would require the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) to establish a telephone hotline and online portal for workers impacted by racial discrimination and harassment to anonymously report and pursue complaints.

As a result of declining unionization and the systematic erosion of labor standards, Black workers across the U.S. have witnessed an alarming resurgence of hiring and wage discrimination. In Illinois, the prevalence of racialized discrimination in the workplace has had devastating consequences for workers of color. The state's Black unemployment levels have remained the highest in the nation since 2016, with Black constituents facing joblessness at more than twice Illinois' average rate. When controlling for a wide range of employment factors, these staggering racialized disparities persist, establishing that elevated rates of Black unemployment are the direct result of widespread hiring discrimination. Moreover, in recent years, race-based wage discrimination in Illinois has risen to levels not seen in 40 years, with Black workers currently earning only 71% of white workers' take-home pay.

The overwhelming majority of labor discrimination and harassment cases go unreported, often due to a fear of retaliation or job loss. Illinois workers currently lack accessible resources fto confidentially pursue workplace complaints. SB 1485 would offer employees a low threshold entry point, either online on by telephone, to anonymously report racial discrimination and harassment. To protect the human rights of Illinois workers and to end discriminatory labor practices, Illinois lawmakers must vote to pass SB 1485 in to law. 

In the past legislative session, lawmakers failed to pass SB 1485. Join WCRJ as we call upon our legislators to reintroduce and pass this critical bill in the next session.