Chicago’s minimum wage workers can look forward to a pay bump next month, as the city’s minimum wage is slated to rise to $16.60 starting July 1. In an announcement made by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, a suite of labor law updates was unveiled, which included the wage hike. Not all workers will experience the same increase; those in subsidized youth employment programs will see their wages increased to $16.50, as detailed in a statement obtained by NBC Chicago.
Alongside the increase in wages, employees earning tips are set to gradually earn more, too. Currently, tipped workers like servers and bartenders earn a subminimum wage of $12.62 per hour, but under the One Fair Wage Ordinance, they will start to gradually see this rate increase by eight percent annually until it matches the city’s standard hourly minimum wage by July 1, 2028. Every year, on July 1, Chicago’s minimum wage is adjusted, but changes this year also extend beyond mere wages. New regulations are set to affect paid leave and sick time—employees now can accrue paid leave for any reason, having the right to carry over up to 16 hours between 12-month periods. When it comes to sick leave, employees can accrue an hour of leave for every 35 hours worked, accumulating up to 40 hours in 12 months, and can carry over up to 80 hours between benefit periods. This comprehensive update was shared by ABC 7 Chicago…