AARON HARRIS
Executive Director, Employment Law Council | adharris@michaelbeststrategies.com
The mission of the Employment Law Council is to effectively represent Illinois employers on employment law issues such as workers compensation, unemployment insurance, employment discrimination, workplace mandates and other management/employee issues. We advocate public policy actions that advance the interests and viewpoints of employers, and to assist in creating a political climate conducive to improving Illinois’ ability to create and retain jobs.
The Council accomplishes its mission with the involvement of hundreds of employers who participate in our three committees: Workers’ Compensation; Employment Law & Litigation; and Unemployment Insurance. Through the efforts of these committees we develop policies and strategies that are implemented by the Council and Illinois Chamber staff.
Workers’ Compensation Committee
The ELC Workers’ Compensation Committee is composed of stakeholders seeking to improve the current system in Illinois. The committee focuses on legislative and regulatory issues affecting workers compensation (WC) issues and their impact on employers. The committee also develops educational forums to educate employers, lawmakers and those associated with workers compensation on ways to improve medical care, reduce indemnity costs and address fraud. The committee assists the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in developing its pro-business legislative agenda by drafting administrative and legislative solutions. It also helps to develop strategies to defeat legislation harmful and costly to employers.
Members
The Council seeks stakeholders for participation in the committee who are committed to its mission. It is comprised of professionals such as: business owners, human resource executives, occupational healthcare providers, risk managers, third party administrators, defense attorneys, insurance claims managers, claims adjustors, disability managers, health & safety professionals, and insurance company executives.
Format
The Committee meets several times during the year. We feature meetings with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission Chairman and Commissioners. Conference call updates on WC legislative matters at the State House and activities at the Commission are presented on a regular basis.
Issues
We promote legislative and administrative changes to provide quality, cost effective healthcare to injured workers. We support revising Illinois’ causation standard and modifying the WC Act to bring Illinois workers’ compensation into line with those states that are offering more competitive costs that allows for retention and attraction of high paying jobs with good benefits.
Employment Law & Litigation Committee
The ELC Employment Law & Litigation Committee The committee focuses on legislative and regulatory issues affecting management and employee issues and their impact on employers. The committee also develops educational forums to educate employers, lawmakers and those with legal responsibilities for their organization. The committee assists the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in developing its pro-business legislative agenda by drafting administrative and legislative solutions. It also helps to develop strategies to defeat legislation harmful and costly to employers.
Members
The Council seeks professionals engaged in the management of a workforce as well as attorneys who represent employers before the courts and various administrative bodies. It is composed of HR professionals and in house as well outside defense legal counsel.
Format
The Committee meets several times during the year. We feature meetings with the Illinois Department of Labor, Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Human Rights Commission. Conference call updates on important employment law legislative matters at the State House and activities at state agencies are presented on a regular basis.
Issues
We promote legislative and administrative changes to reduce the complexity and duplication of employer compliance with the multitude of state employment law regulations and laws. We are engaged in issues such as mandated leave, minimum wage and wage hour matters, employment discrimination, equal pay and protecting the workplace in regards to recreational legalization of marijuana.
Unemployment Insurance Committee
The ELC Unemployment Insurance Committee is composed of stakeholders seeking to improve the current unemployment insurance system in Illinois. The committee focuses on legislative and regulatory issues affecting unemployment insurance (UI) issues and their impact on employers. The committee also develops educational forums to educate employers, lawmakers and those associated with unemployment insurance administration on ways to reduce UI taxes and address fraud. The committee assists the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in developing its pro-business legislative agenda by drafting administrative and legislative solutions. It also helps to develop strategies to defeat legislation harmful and costly to employers.
Members
The Council seeks stakeholders for participation in the committee who are committed to its mission. It is comprised of professionals such as: business owners, human resource executives, UI third party administrators, and defense attorneys.
Format
The Committee meets several times during the year. We feature meetings with the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Conference call updates on UI legislative matters at the State House and activities at the Commission are presented on a regular basis.
Issues
We promote legislative and administrative changes to provide that UI benefits are provided to workers who lose their jobs at no fault of their own. We support strengthening the “misconduct” provisions and a UI Trust Fund that strikes a balance of being able to pay benefits without taxes too high that reduce investment in our state. We seek to bring Illinois UI costs into line with those states that are offering more competitive costs that allows for retention and attraction of high paying jobs with good benefits.