A Conviction Record and a Job
775 ILCS 5/2-103.1 — an employer needs a substantial relationship or an unreasonable risk to act on it
Unless otherwise authorized by law, an employer may not use a conviction record to refuse to hire, fire, discipline or set the terms of a job, unless there is a substantial relationship between the offense and the job, or the job would involve an unreasonable risk to property or to the safety or welfare of specific people or the public.
Who handles this in Illinois: Equip for Equality, Illinois Department of Human Rights and Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Lawyer Finder; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
- The length of time since the conviction.
- The number of convictions on the record.
- The nature and severity of the conviction and how it relates to the safety and security of others.
Those are among the factors the employer must consider, and the section sets a notice and response process before a final decision.
Sources for this section (1)
- 775 ILCS 5/2-103.1 — Conviction record
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.