DDDH Notices

To:         Deans, Directors, and Department Heads
From:    Jami Painter, Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

The Victims Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) is an Illinois law that provides unpaid leave for employees. Its purpose is to address issues arising from being a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence or having a family or household member who is a victim of such violence.

At the beginning of this year, VESSA was amended to allow for additional reasons for which it may be used. All employees at the University of Illinois are eligible for 10 workdays of VESSA leave in a 12-month period for the following new reasons:

• To attend the funeral or alternative to a funeral or wake of a family or household member who is killed in a crime of violence.
• To make arrangements necessitated by the death of a family or household member who is killed in a crime of violence.
• To grieve the death of a family or household member who is killed in a crime of violence.

The University of Illinois VESSA webpage contains additional information, including FAQs. Please share this communication with those in your area with human resource responsibilities. A communication to employees will be sent soon.

Questions regarding these changes may be directed to:

• Urbana-Champaign: Illinois HR (217) 333-3105; ihr-LER@illinois.edu; or czys@illinois.edu 
• Chicago: UIC Human Resources (312) 413-3490 or uichrleaves@uillinois.edu
  1. UI Hospital and Clinics (UI Health) uihloa@uic.edu or fax (312) 355-1548
  2. UIC College of Medicine at Peoria (309) 671-8518
  3. UIC College of Medicine at Rockford (815) 395-5862
• Springfield: UIS Human Resources (217) 206-6652; uishr@uis.edu
• System Office: System Human Resource Services (217) 333-2600; erhr@uillinois.edu