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Dear Cook County Employee,
We are pleased to inform you of an important update regarding your compensation.
Under the leadership of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, your Cook County Human Resources team has made many efforts to keep up with rapidly changing labor market conditions over the last few years to retain our talented workforce. As a result, employees have benefited from market rate salary alignment, increased tuition reimbursement benefits, retention bonuses, expanded employee preference for job opportunities, and additional paid leave to address family needs.
Most recently, Cook County Government and our union partners, who represent over 80% of our employee population, recognized the rising cost of living and the burden it placed on employees. As a result, we worked together to extend the current collective bargaining agreements and provide employees an additional 3.5% cost of living increase. To further address the gap between wages and the unpredictable rise in inflation, by agreement, the 3.5% increase is retroactive to December 1, 2021.
As the Cook County Board continues to approve contract extensions, the County will process and issue payments to employees. For non-union employees and union employees whose contracts were approved in June, we are pleased to announce that the 3.5% increase will be reflected in the paycheck you receive this Friday, September 15. The retroactive amount will be processed and reflected in employee paychecks in the coming months.
Please keep an eye on your payroll statements for the exact details of your salary adjustment, and don’t hesitate to contact the Bureau of Human Resources at bhr@cookcountyil.gov if you have specific questions or concerns. For general questions, see the 3.5% COLA FAQs.
Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and continued commitment to public service.
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