The start of the year is a good time to check your check and ensure you are being paid the correct amount. Non-tipped workers in Cook County should earn $15.00/hour, and tipped workers should earn $9.00/hour.
-
Paying employees less than the applicable minimum wage.
-
Confiscating gratuities of tipped employees.
-
Charging employees counterfeit fees payable to the employer as a way of reducing their effective hourly rate of pay.
-
Failing to notify employees of their rights under the Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance.
-
Firing an employee who is considering or has filed a Minimum Wage complaint or otherwise cooperating with a Commission investigation.
If you or someone you know is being paid less than the applicable minimum wage, you can contact us to speak to an investigator at 312-603-1100 or by email at human.rights@CookCountyil.gov. You can also file a complaint here or download complaint forms in additional languages here.
Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X to learn more as we launch a Check Your Check campaign with weekly informational graphics!
To help Cook County residents better understand how the National Origin protection applies to housing, employment, and other Commission protections, we will be hosting a virtual training on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The training will cover:
-
National origin protection definitions in plain language
-
Hypothetical scenarios to illustrate how these protections work in everyday life
-
An overview of the Commission’s complaint-filing process
The training will be offered in Spanish and English, with each session running concurrently. Register for the training here. To receive event updates, follow us on social media! We are on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter/X.
Background on the National Origin Amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance
On March 13th, 2025, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the definition of national origin in the Human Rights Ordinance (the “Ordinance”). The amendment now defines National Origin as “the place in which an individual or one of such individual's ancestors was born (including, but not limited to associated physical, cultural or linguistic characteristics).” These changes further clarify that the definition of national origin discrimination includes physical, cultural, and linguistic characteristics (whether actual or perceived).
Pictured from left to right: Tamiya Wright, Andre Gordillo, John Petruszak, Sam Dewberry, Jennifer King, and Charles Isaacs.
If you didn't get a chance to join us, you can watch a recording of the panel discussion here.
Thank you to all who joined us in making this event possible!
Our Website | Our Facebook | Our Twitter
File a Complaint for Unlawful Discrimination or Harassment
Human Rights Ordinance and Regulations
Related links:
Chicago Commission on Human Relations
Illinois Department of Human Rights
Illinois Human Rights Commission
|
