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| 1 | AN ACT concerning education. | ||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly: | ||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section | ||||||
| 5 | 27-23.17 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (105 ILCS 5/27-23.17 new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 27-23.17. Workplace Readiness Week. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, all public | ||||||
| 9 | high schools, including charter schools, may designate and | ||||||
| 10 | annually observe a week known as "Workplace Readiness Week". | ||||||
| 11 | During that week, students shall be provided information on | ||||||
| 12 | their rights as workers. The topics covered shall include, but | ||||||
| 13 | are not limited to, local, State, and federal laws regarding | ||||||
| 14 | each of the following areas and shall include the labor | ||||||
| 15 | movement's role in winning the protections and benefits | ||||||
| 16 | described in those areas: | ||||||
| 17 | (1) Prohibitions against misclassification of | ||||||
| 18 | employees as independent contractors. | ||||||
| 19 | (2) Child labor. | ||||||
| 20 | (3) Wage and hour protections. | ||||||
| 21 | (4) Worker safety. | ||||||
| 22 | (5) Workers' compensation. | ||||||
| 23 | (6) Unemployment insurance. | ||||||
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| 1 | (7) Paid sick leave and paid family leave. | ||||||
| 2 | (8) The right to organize a union in the workplace. | ||||||
| 3 | (9) Prohibitions against retaliation by employers when | ||||||
| 4 | workers exercise their rights as workers or any other | ||||||
| 5 | rights guaranteed by law. | ||||||
| 6 | During Workplace Readiness Week, students shall also be | ||||||
| 7 | provided information introducing them to State-approved | ||||||
| 8 | apprenticeship programs, how to access them, the variety of | ||||||
| 9 | programs available, and how they can provide an alternative | ||||||
| 10 | career path for those students who choose not to attend a | ||||||
| 11 | traditional higher education program. | ||||||
| 12 | (b) If a school observes Workplace Readiness Week under | ||||||
| 13 | this Section, then, for students in grades 11 and 12, the | ||||||
| 14 | information required to be provided in subsection (a) shall be | ||||||
| 15 | integrated into the regular school program but may also be | ||||||
| 16 | provided during special events after regular school hours. | ||||||
| 17 | Integration into the regular school program is encouraged, but | ||||||
| 18 | not required, to occur during Workplace Readiness Week. | ||||||
| 19 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 20 | becoming law. | ||||||