Illinois Governor Blagojevich has signed legislation to allow employees to take up to an hour off work to donate blood. The new Employee Blood Donation Leave Act allows local government and private sector full-time employees who work for companies with more than 50 employees to take an hour of paid leave to donate blood.  The legislation is modeled after the Illinois Organ Donor Leave Act, which gives state employees time off to donate blood and organs.

 Employees will be allowed to donate blood every 56 days. The new law seeks to ameliorate the continuing problem of blood shortages.

Michael Lied is a member of the Labor & Employment Group at Howard & Howard. He represents employers in a wide variety of employment, labor and immigration matters. For more information, please contact Michael Lied at (309) 672-1483 or mrl@h2law.com.  

Copyright 2005 Howard & Howard Attorneys, P.C. This publication is intended to provide information only and does not constitute legal advice.