How Proposed Federal Rule Threatens Home Care Worker Wages In Illinois

The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is standing firm against the proposed federal wage rollbacks that could reportedly threaten the wages of home health care workers.

State Leaders Speak Out

According to an IDOL press release, a proposal by the Trump administration would allegedly roll back key wage and overtime protections for millions of home healthcare workers.

The Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan condemned the move, calling it a threat to the economic security of working famalies.

While Illinois has robust minimum wage and overtime protections for home health care workers, if the proposed rule is adopted, it will create inconsistency and confusion across the country. As the federal government weakens worker protections, IDOL is committed to protecting and promoting the wages of all workers in Illinois. -Jane Flanagan, Director of the Illinois Department of Labor

Illinois Joins National Opposition

Illinois has joined Pennsylvania and other states in opposing the U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule change titled Application of Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service.

According to the IDOL press release, this proposed change would strip away any federal protections that guarantee a minimum wage and overtime is paid to home care workers, an industry that has been historically plagued by low pay and labor abusers.

Illinois Leads with Strong Worker Protections

In contrast to the federal proposal, Illinois has steadily strengthened protections for care workers, including with a 2019 law signed by Governor JB Pritzker that raised the state minimum wage to $15 by 2025.

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Through state programs like the Department of Aging's Community Care Program, in-home care workers now earn $18 per hour, and many home care workers in Illinois are protected by union contracts that offer wages higher than the minimum wage.