The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) recently announced updates to its Equal Pay Registration Certificate (EPRC) program. Most notably, the agency is removing the “prefers not to identify” option for employee race and sex reporting.
Employers that downloaded the current pay reporting template may use it through 2026, IDOL said, but beginning January 1, 2027, it will reject submissions using “prefers not to identify” for race or sex. Employers may submit explanatory documentation regarding individual employee situations.
Other changes include improved portal functionality that allows employers to download approved submissions and reminds them that they have 30 days to edit rejected submissions. IDOL also reminded employers about 2025 developments, including: the addition of “Middle Eastern or North African” as a race category, the decoupling of EPRC reporting from federal EEO-1 reporting, and IDOL’s partnership with the University of Illinois to analyze submitted EPRC data, which resulted in a December 2025 report.
Click here to read more from the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association.