The Illinois Freedom to Work Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2022, regulates the enforceability of post-employment restrictive covenants such as non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements as never before.
Right-to-work laws: measures that prohibit mandatory union membership, therefore limiting the number of unions and, as a result, their power. Right-to-work legislation may be one of the numerous factors contributing to the recent fall in union membership.
These laws are designed to protect workers' rights to choose whether or not to be part of a union without facing any pressure. By making union membership voluntary, right-to-work laws give employees more freedom in their job decisions and can affect how unions operate and their influence in the workplace.
Numerous studies have shown the negative impact of “right-to-work” laws on communities — playing out through lower wages, reduced health care coverage, and heightened rates of poverty that force many into a reliance on public assistance.
So-called right to work laws allow workers in a unionized workplace to opt out of paying union dues, thus eroding the union's financial standing and its bargaining and political power.
Can an employer terminate me without advance notice or without giving a reason or an unfair reason for the termination? Yes. Illinois is an "employment at-will" state, meaning that an employer or employee may terminate the relationship at any time, without any reason or cause.
To summarize, Illinois is not a right-to-work state. The state's legislative landscape reflects a commitment to collective bargaining, union rights, and labor relations characterized by negotiated agreements between employers and unions.
Right-to-work laws. A state law forbidding requirements that workers must join a union to hold their jobs.
Right-to-work laws, prevalent in certain U.S. states, grant employees the freedom to work without being compelled to join or financially support a union as a condition of employment.
The Illinois Freedom to Work Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2022, regulates the enforceability of post-employment restrictive covenants such as non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements as never before.