New Required Poster and Other Key Takeaways for Employers from Illinois’ New Stay-At-Home Order

On April 30, Governor Pritzker issued an executive order extending Illinois’ Stay-at-Home mandate to May 30. The order, effective May 1, also contains a number of new requirements for employers. The key takeaways are below:

1. All Employers with Employees On-Site Must Post New Safety Poster

Any business with employees physically reporting to the work site must post guidance regarding workplace safety during the COVID-19 emergency. The required posting is available here.

Additional workplace safety posters are available from OSHA and the CDC.

2. Employers Should Facilitate Remote Work “When Possible”

All businesses must evaluate whether employees are able to work from home and are encouraged to facilitate remote work from home when possible.

3. Employers Must Provide Face Coverings to Employees Where Social Distancing Unavailable

Employer must provide employees with appropriate face coverings and require that employees wear face coverings where maintaining a six-foot social distance is not possible. When work circumstances require, employers must provide employees with other protective equipment in addition to face coverings.

4. New Social Distancing Guidelines for Manufacturers

Essential manufacturers that continue to operate are required to follow social distancing requirements and take “appropriate precautions.” These precautions may include:

• providing face coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain a minimum six-foot social distance at all times;
• staggering shifts;
• reducing line speeds;
• operating only essential lines, while shutting down non-essential lines;
• ensuring that all spaces where employees may gather, including locker rooms and lunchrooms, allow for social distancing; and
• downsizing operations to the extent necessary to allow for social distancing and to provide a safe workplace in response to the COVID-19 emergency.

5. New Social Distancing Guidelines for Retail Stores

Essential retail stores that continue to operate must comply with the following requirements to the greatest extent possible:

• provide face coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain a minimum six-foot social distance at all times;
• cap occupancy at 50 percent of store capacity, or, alternatively, at the occupancy limits based on store square footage set by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity;
• set up store aisles to be one-way where practicable to maximize spacing between customers and identify the one-way aisles with conspicuous signage and/or floor markings;
• communicate with customers through in-store signage, and public service announcements and advertisements, about the social distancing requirements set forth in this Order (Social Distancing Requirements); and
• discontinue use of reusable bags.

Non-essential retail stores may reopen for the limited purposes of fulfilling telephone and online orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery. Employees working in the store must follow social distancing requirements and must wear a face covering when they may come within six feet of another employee or a customer.