Citing comparable benefits and less hassle, Winnetka schools, park district opt out of county’s paid-leave policy

The Winnetka Village Council on Tuesday unanimously granted a request from the Village’s public schools and park district to opt out of a county-wide employment ordinance, citing conflicts with their existing employment rules.

Trustees approved the exemption at their last regular meeting of the year without discussion and following a brief overview from Village Manager Rob Bahan.

According to Bahan, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance in December 2023, which he wrote in his memo to the board, “requires employers in the county to provide certain minimum paid leave benefits to employees.”

Three months after it passed, Bahan said the county temporarily approved an amendment exempting schools and park districts from the ordinance until Jan. 1, 2025. However, he said the commissioners have not taken further action to extend that exemption.

Last week, the village manager said he was contacted by officials from the Winnetka Park District, New Trier High School and Winnetka Public Schools asking that the Village use its home rule authority to opt out of the ordinance, which is an option given to local municipalities.

Bahan explained that the park district and schools were asking to opt out because “their benefits are as good or exceed what the county ordinance would require,” adding that the governing bodies also said complying with the ordinance would cause an “administrative burden” to them.

In his memo, Bahan further explained that the schools and park district said the ordinance “does not require adequate leave notice for employers, which could result in interruptions in each entity’s ability to provide critical services.”

The sole question prior to the vote came from Trustee Rob Apatoff asking if there were any legal issues surrounding the request, to which Village Attorney Peter Friedman said there were not.

The council also approved a plan to redevelop 933 Green Bay Road into commercial buildings, a project on which The Record previously reported.

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