Employers are encouraged to review workplace policies to ensure compliance with the updated VESSA law. Employees who believe their rights are being violated may file complaints with the Illinois Department of Labor. State officials say access to documentation can be critical for securing protection orders.
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A new Illinois law allows workers to record and access evidence of violence on employer-issued phones and tablets.
by Judith Ruiz-BranchPublic News Service
CHICAA new change to an Illinois law provides significant protections for employees who use work-issued electronic devices to document instances of violence. The amendment to the Victims Economic Security and Safety Act, or VESSA, allows employees in Illinois to use their work-issued cellphones or tablets if needed to document domestic violence, sexual or gender violence, or other violent crimes – said Lydia Colunga-Merchant, Leave Rights Division manager with the Illinois Department of Labor. "It also allows employees to have access to that data," said Colunga-Merchant, "that is recorded on those work-issued devices." The change took effect January 1. Colunga-Merchant encouraged employers to regularly review and update their workplace policies to maintain compliance with current law. Colunga-Merchant said the amendment stems from an incident in New York, in which an employee experiencing domestic violence was disciplined by her employer for documenting instances on a work-related device. She said the woman was ultimately killed by her spouse. "It's trying to prevent some of that access that maybe that employee could have had to that work-related device," said Colunga-Merchant, "if she needed that evidence to get potentially an order of protection or a restraining order – or any other type of protection or documentation that could have helped." She adds employees can contact the Illinois Department of Labor to file a complaint if they believe employers are violating VESSA provisions.
