Effective July 1st Illinois’s minimum wage was increased. The official IL Department of Revenue fact sheet on the revised minimum wage is posted on their web site at:
http://www.state.il.us/agency/idol/News/PDFs/mw.pdf
The basic minimum wage in Illinois for current adult employees is now $8.25
For Chicago bar, restaurant, and other hospitality businesses the new tipped wage rate for your employees who earn gratuities is $4.95. For more information on the minimum wage for new employees in their fist 90 days of employment please check the IDOR link above, or contact the Association. And every once in awhile we see a small business get this calculation or recordkeeping wrong and get penalized so please remember that the employer of tipped wage employees must be able to document that they did receive tips of at least $3.30 per hour over their pay period to bring them up to $8.25 minimum wage. Failure to document that they received enough tips to meet or exceed the minimum wage can create multiple headaches for a small business.
March 28, 2010 – The Hospitality Business Association of Chicago (HBAC) is coordinating a responsible server certification class from 11am – 3pm on Saturday, April 10th. The class will be held in Wrigleyville and tuition will vary from $25 – $40 per pupil depending on possible beer vendor discounts. To confirm that space is available and whether you quality discounted enrollment in this State of Illinois approved server training course please call or email the Association.
Any bar or restaurant that guarantees a 10 person minimum attendance is able to schedule a class at their place of business at whatever date and time is most convenient for your class. Call or email for more details about individualized on-site training at your business. All courses include required materials and state certification upon passing all class tests.
The Hospitality Business Association of Chicago (HBAC) has a monthly email newsletter for Chicago hospitality business owners and managers that covers risk management, legislative, and industry news specific to Chicago’s locally owned bars, restaurants, and music venues. Because this newsletter covers advice on preventing lawsuits, employee theft, and customer fraud it is restricted to owners and managers only. If you wish to subscribe to our Chicago hospitality industry newsletter please send a email request to:
subscribe@hbachicago.org
With your name, and hospitality business information. Upon verification we’ll add you to the mailing list. If your email address matches a web site for your business you will be automatically added, otherwise our office may call or email you for more information before adding you to the subscription list. In the past, this newsletter has included specific examples of:
* Episodes of counterfeit bills appearing at local bars
* Training staff to detect counterfeit bills
* Security camera stories preventing lawsuits or citations
* Examination of enforcement priorities for City inspectors
* Common types of employee fraud recently rooted out in local businesses
Effective March 1st, 2010 the Chicago Hospitality Association is now the Hospitality Business Association of Chicago (HBAC). HBAC is celebrating it’s new name with the soft opening of a brand new website. New features and new content will be added here daily between March 1st and March 24th. Check back every weekday this month to see what new information and features are available for Chicago’s locally owned bars, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses and their owners, employees, and customers.
The Hospitality Business Association of Chicago – a brand new name but the same great mission – “Serving the Industry that Serves Chicago”.
The Hospitality Business Association of Chicago is a non-profit chamber of commerce for Chicago’s locally owned bars, restaurants, music venues, and other hospitality businesses. Our Association’s mission is to promote, protect, and inform the local hospitality industry and to educate the general public about the many positive economic and quality of life benefits generated by responsibly operated and locally owned hospitality businesses in Chicago. The Association was founded in 2005 as the Chicago Hospitality Association and has since grown to a membership driven group of over 120 locally owned Chicago hospitality businesses with sponsorship support from corporate partners like Chicago Beverage Systems, and Anheuser-Busch InBev.
