Understanding the 2026 WTA Amendments: Practical Insights for HR and Legal Teams

 On January 1, 2026, significant changes to the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act reshaped how employers must structure their employment and separation agreements.

The amended law restricts and complicates employers’ use of confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses in severance and settlement agreements.  It also limits an employer’s ability to impose certain terms in employment agreements, including provisions that:

• Require the employee to agree to arbitration or class waivers
• Shorten the statute of limitations for employee claims
• Require Illinois employees to apply non Illinois law to their claims
• Mandate that Illinois employees litigate or arbitrate claims outside the state

Employers who have not updated their templates for employment and separation agreements since Jan. 1 are likely no longer compliant with Illinois law.  Join Jackson Lewis P.C. attorneys for a 30-minute discussion of these changes, what they mean for your organization and the steps employers should take now to ensure compliance.

*The firm is an accredited provider of CLE in Illinois, Nevada and New York.  

This program is intended for bona fide members of management. Jackson Lewis reserves the right to limit attendance or deny registration at its discretion.