Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 515 Private Employment Agency Act. Section 1

    (225 ILCS 515/1) (from Ch. 111, par. 901)

    Sec. 1. It shall be the duty of the Department of Labor and it shall have power, jurisdiction and authority to issue licenses to employment agencies or agents, and to refuse to issue licenses whenever, after due investigation, the Department of Labor finds that the character of the applicant makes him unfit to be an employment agent, or when the premises proposed to be used for conducting the business of an employment agency, is found, upon investigation, to be unfit for such use. Any such license granted by the Department of Labor may also be revoked or suspended by it upon due notice to the holder of said license and upon due cause shown and hearing thereon. Failure to comply with the duties, terms, rules, conditions or provisions required by any law of this State governing employment agencies, or with any lawful order of the Department of Labor, shall be deemed cause to revoke or suspend such license. The Department of Labor shall have power, jurisdiction and authority to fix and order such reasonable rules and regulations for the conduct of the business of employment agencies, as may be necessary to carry out the laws relating to employment agencies.

    The applicant shall furnish to the Department an affidavit stating that he has never been a party to any fraud, has no jail or prison record, belongs to no subversive societies, is of good moral character, has business integrity and is financially responsible.

    In determining moral character and qualification for licensing, the Department may take into consideration any criminal conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction shall not operate as a bar to licensing.

    No person shall open, keep or carry on any employment agency in the State of Illinois, unless such person shall procure a license therefor from the Department of Labor. Any person who shall open up, or conduct any such agency without first procuring such license or without paying any fees required by this Act, shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

    The application fee for such license shall be $250 annually for persons operating an agency with less than 3 employment counsellors; $350 annually for persons operating an agency with from 3 to 5 employment counsellors; $400 annually for persons operating an agency employing from 6 to 10 employment counsellors and $500 annually for persons operating an agency employing in excess of 10 employment counsellors. The application fee is nonrefundable.

    Every license shall contain the name of the person licensed, or if a corporation, the name of the chief officer, a designation of the city, street number of the building in which the licensee is authorized to carry on the employment agency, and the style or trade name under which such licensee is to conduct the employment agency. Such license shall not be valid to protect any person who operates any employment agency under any other name than is mentioned in the license. No license shall be valid to protect any place other than that designated in the license, unless notice in writing was given by a licensee to the Department of Labor that the licensee intends to commence conduct of an employment agency at another or at an additional location, which notice is accompanied by the requisite fee and bond, or unless any employment agency interviews on the premises of an employer client for employees for the employer client and notifies the Department thereof at least 48 hours prior thereto and the Department fails to raise an objection to the interviewing. No such agency shall be located in connection with any place where intoxicating liquors are sold.

    The application for such license shall be filed with the Department of Labor and the Department of Labor shall act upon such application before 60 days from the time of filing such application. The license shall run for one year from date of issue, and no longer, unless sooner revoked by the Department of Labor. Such application shall be posted in the office of the Department of Labor from date of filing thereof and until such time as such application is acted upon. Such application shall contain the name, address and telephone number of the person who desires to secure a license, and shall be signed by him. If the application is filed on behalf of a partnership, the application shall contain the date when the partnership was formed, and the names and addresses of all partners, and shall be signed by one of the partners. If the application is filed on behalf of a corporation, the application shall contain the date when the corporation was formed, the state of incorporation, and the names and addresses of all officers of the corporation, and shall be signed by the president and secretary of the corporation. The application shall state whether or not any person mentioned in the application was ever engaged in the business of conducting an employment agency, or was employed by an employment agency in this State or elsewhere and shall set forth the facts if any concerning such previous connection with the employment agency business. The application shall contain the name and address of the person who is to have the general management of the agency.

    Such application shall state whether or not any person mentioned in the application is pecuniarily interested in any other business and if so, the nature of such business and where it is carried on. Such applicant shall also state whether the person or persons mentioned in the application are the only persons pecuniarily interested in the business to be carried on under the license. Such application shall also contain such other information as the Department shall by regulation require. Such application shall be accompanied by such evidence of the applicant's business reputation for integrity and such evidence of the applicant's financial responsibility as the Department may by regulation require. Such application shall be accompanied by the affidavits of two persons of business or professional integrity, residing within the city or town wherein such applicant resides or intends to conduct his business, and such affiants shall state that they have known the applicant for a period of two years, that the applicant is a person of good moral character.

    Upon the filing of such application, the Department shall cause an investigation to be made as to the character and the business integrity and financial responsibility of the applicant and those mentioned in the application, and as to the fitness of the premises to be used. The application shall be rejected if the Department shall find that any of the persons named in the application is not of good moral character, business integrity and financial responsibility, if the premises are unfit or if there is any good and sufficient reason within the meaning and purpose of this Act for rejecting such application. Unless the application shall be rejected for one or more of the causes specified above, it shall be granted. A detailed report of such investigation and the action taken thereon shall be made in writing, signed by the investigator and become a part of the official records of the Department's office.

    When at the time of filing the application, the applicant or any person mentioned in the application is employed as an employment counsellor by a licensed employment agency in this State, the department shall notify the agency of this fact.

    Such license shall be renewed upon licensee furnishing the Department accompanied by the required application fee, a letter from a surety stating that a sufficient bond is in force and other documents necessary to complete the renewal. Failure to renew a license at its expiration date shall cause the license to lapse and may only be reinstated by a new application.

    No license shall be transferrable, but a licensee may at any time with the approval of the Department, make changes in the structure of the business entity operating the agency, but no licensee shall permit any person not mentioned in the original application for a license to become a partner if such agency is a partnership, or an officer of the corporation if such agency is a corporation, unless the written consent of the Department of Labor shall first be obtained. Such consent may be withheld for any reason for which an original application might have been rejected, if the person in question had been mentioned therein. No such change shall be permitted until the written consent of the surety or sureties on the bond required to be filed by Section 2 of this Act, to such change, be filed with the original bond. The Department shall be notified immediately of any change in the management of the agency so that at all times the identity of the person charged with the general management of the agency shall be known by the Department. Licensee may promote persons within its agency or change the titles and duties of existing agency personnel other than the General Manager without notice to the Department.

    Each applicant for a license shall file with the application a schedule of fees, charges and commissions, which he intends to charge and collect for his services, together with a copy of all forms and contracts to be used in the operation of the agency. Such schedule of fees, charges and commissions may thereafter be changed by filing with the Department of Labor an amended or supplemental schedule, showing such changes, at least 15 days before such change is to become effective. Any change in forms or contracts must be filed with the Department of Labor at least 15 days before such change is to become effective. Such schedule of fees to be charged shall be posted in a conspicuous place in each room of such agency where applicants are interviewed and such schedule of fees shall be printed in not less than 30 point bold faced-type. Agencies which deal exclusively with employer paid fees shall not be required to post said schedule of fees. The Department may by regulation require contracts to contain definitions of terms used in such contracts to eliminate ambiguity.

    It shall be unlawful for any employment agency to charge, collect or receive a greater compensation for any service performed by it than is specified in such schedule filed with the Department of Labor. It shall be unlawful for any employment agency to collect or attempt to collect any compensation for any service not specified in the schedule of fees filed with the department.

(Source: P.A. 85-1408; 86-1043.)

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Last modified: February 18, 2015