SPRINGFIELD – Temporary workers will soon have increased safety, transparency and recourse thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters.

“Temp workers’ contributions to our economy are often overlooked and taken for granted, even though they often deal with the most unsafe work conditions,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “This new law is long overdue. Temporary workers deserve to work in the same safe conditions as permanent workers.”

The Day and Temporary Labor Services Act requires staffing agencies to provide transportation and safety equipment to workers, provide an itemized list of wages due to workers and maintain records related to third party clients.

Peters’ law expands the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act to ensure safety and transparency for workers. Under the expansion, temporary laborers assigned to a third party client for more than 90 days will be paid no less than the rate of pay and equivalent benefits as the lowest paid hired employee of the client with the same level of seniority and performing the same or substantially similar work.

The measure also requires agencies to notify laborers that the assigned workplace is where a strike, lockout, or other labor trouble exists and that the laborers have a right to refuse the workplace assignment. Further, temporary and day labor service agencies must obtain information about a client company’s safety practices and provide training to workers on industry hazards they may encounter at the worksite.

“The expansion of the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act will bring an end to the hazardous workplace situations that many Black and Brown workers face,” Peters said. “A new normal is coming. I appreciate the work the Chicago Workers’ Collaborative, the Illinois AFL-CIO and State Representative Edgar Gonzalez have done to make this new normal a reality for a service sector that is often forgotten.”

House Bill 2862 was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.

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