Legislation initiated by a local Veterans Assistance Commission and sponsored by State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) has officially been signed into law, ensuring fair and accurate compensation for veterans and reservists doing military work when their civilian jobs include nontraditional shifts.
Previously, under Illinois’ Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (SMERRA), differential compensation was calculated based on calendar “work days.” This left a gap for employees whose shifts begin on one day and end the next, such as overnight shifts.
“Our laws should reflect the reality of today’s workforce and I’m proud to carry this bill on behalf of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission and the many Illinois veterans and reservists it will help,” said Wilcox.
House Bill 1362 addresses this issue by updating statutory language to define work time by “shifts” rather than calendar days, ensuring service members are fully compensated for the time they would have otherwise worked, regardless of when their shift starts or ends.
“This legislation is a commonsense update that corrects an oversight in how we treat our veteran and reservist employees,” said Wilcox. “If a servicemember works an overnight shift, their military service shouldn’t cost them hours or pay just because the calendar changed at midnight. This law ensures they are treated fairly and with the respect they’ve earned.”
The bill aligns with the intent of Public Act 100-1101, which was passed in 2018 and originally created SMERRA, and continues to advance the state’s commitment to protecting service members’ rights to employment, reemployment, and fair compensation.
“This is a victory for every servicemember who juggles both civilian responsibilities and military obligations,” added Wilcox. “I am grateful this important clarifying bill received unanimous support in the Senate and House.”