What an Employer May Take Out of Pay
820 ILCS 115/9 — a deduction needs the law, a court order, the employee's benefit, or written consent given at the time
Deductions by an employer from wages or final compensation are prohibited unless they are one of these.
Who handles this in Illinois: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
- Required by law.
- To the benefit of the employee.
- In response to a valid wage assignment or wage deduction order.
- Made with the employee's express written consent, given freely at the time the deduction is made.
The section also lets some large public employers deduct debts owed to them, up to 25% of the net payment, after the hearings it describes.
Sources for this section (1)
- 820 ILCS 115/9 — 820 ILCS 115/9
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.