Small business owners in Illinois often see the effects of legislation long before larger businesses notice an impact. In some cases, new legislation benefits small business owners and helps them grow. But some laws, like the ones that will begin on Jan. 1, 2024, may negatively affect how some owners are able to run their small businesses. Awareness of these new laws can help owners prepare and plan for how to deal with the changes.
What are the new laws?
Starting Jan. 1 2024, Senate Bill 2034 will go into effect. This bill provides an extended bereavement time for when someone loses a child. Senate Bill 208 mandates paid time off that can be used for any reason. Another law will allow employees to take time off to donate blood.
Those who own small businesses may have to adapt their leave policies to comply with these new laws, which provide added time off to employees in certain circumstances. Because small businesses have fewer employees, they may struggle with allocating tasks when one or more employees are unexpectedly absent. These new laws, while beneficial for workers, will create some challenges for managers in delegating tasks in situations where the workload is often already distributed among fewer employees when compared to larger operations.
Legal advice can provide answers
When new laws go into effect, business owners may have concerns about how to comply with those laws while still maintaining a successful business model. Owners who are concerned about the impact of new business legislation can benefit from consulting an attorney. An attorney with knowledge of Illinois business law can provide answers to any legal questions a small business owner may have.
