Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act

Your rights for unpaid leave in Illinois just got a major expansion. The Family Bereavement Act of 2023 went into effect on January 1st, see what has changed.

We all grieve differently, and we grieve for many different reasons, as well. The state of Illinois made some major changes to the rules that will allow for some needed space to process our grief. There is no timeline or specific order to the steps of processing grief but now you'll be able to take a little more time away from work.

Changes to the Child Bereavement Leave Act

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What has taken place as we start 2023 is an expansion (aka amendment) to the Child Bereavement Leave Act (CBLA). The changes were numerous so the act' was given a new name, Family Bereavement Leave Act (FBLA).

The new act includes an expansion to include family members that were never part of the previous leave act. The new act also increases the number of days off your employer must give you.

The Family Bereavement Leave Act

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The amendment now includes time off for,

Pregnancy loss
Failed adoptions or surrogacy agreements
Unsuccessful reproductive procedures
Other diagnoses or events negatively impacting pregnancy or fertility

The FBLA now includes time off for grieving the loss of spouses, domestic partners, siblings, grandparents, and stepparents. Employers now must give you up to two weeks (10 workdays) to attend a funeral or make arrangements after a family member's death.

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There are some documents you'll have to provide for your employer should they require them for proof, according to a recent story from WCIA.com, like death certificates or a published obituary, and documentation from an adoption or surrogacy organization.

WCIA also provided the link to the form that you can use for documentation to give your employer.