In Illinois, part-time and seasonal workers count, and they count from the very first one. Illinois requires workers' comp once you have any employee, and the Commission is explicit that even a single part-time employee triggers the requirement, from the moment that person is hired. So one part-time hire is enough; there is no part-time or seasonal exemption to fall back on.
Who this is for: Illinois owners with part-time, seasonal, or a mix of hourly staff.
The short version
- Part-time employees count from the first hire; there is no part-time exemption.
- A single part-time worker is enough to require a policy.
- Part-time and seasonal staff must be covered from the moment they are hired.
- Seasonal work is judged by the same first-employee rule, not a separate seasonal break.
- Once you carry a policy, every employee is covered, part-time and seasonal included.
How part-time and seasonal staff count
Illinois does not measure a headcount before coverage kicks in. Because the rule is first-employee, a part-timer counts the same as a full-timer, and the duty starts the day they are hired. That is the surprise for a lot of owners: you can run entirely on part-time help and still need a policy. Seasonal work is treated the same way. A summer landscaping crew, a holiday retail rush, or a festival stand is measured by the same rule as anyone else, so if you have paid seasonal help, you need coverage while they are on.
| Your staffing | Coverage required? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One part-time employee | Yes | Illinois requires coverage from the first employee, part-time included |
| A few part-timers, no full-timers | Yes | Part-timers count the same as full-timers from the first hire |
| A seasonal crew for a few months | Yes | Judged by the first-employee rule, not a separate seasonal exemption |
| Only the owner, no paid help | Usually no | An owner is not an employee of their own business |
Seasonal businesses
Illinois does not have a special seasonal exemption. If you bring on paid help for a busy stretch, you need a policy for that stretch, even if you shrink back to just the owner in the off-season. The practical move is to plan for coverage before the season ramps up, because the requirement applies the day you hire, not at year-end. If your season is short, ask us about a policy that matches the payroll you actually run, so you are not paying for months you have no staff.
A Schaumburg example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Schaumburg gift shop runs with just the owner most of the year, below the requirement. Every holiday season it adds two part-time seasonal clerks. From the day those clerks start, Illinois requires a policy, even though they are part-time and temporary. We write coverage that fits the seasonal payroll and make sure the holiday clerks are included. See our workers comp for retail stores page.
Real questions Illinois owners ask
Do part-time employees need workers comp in Illinois?
Yes. There is no part-time exemption. Illinois requires coverage from the first employee, and a part-time worker counts the same as a full-timer, from the day they are hired.
I only have one part-time worker. Do I need coverage?
Yes. A single part-time employee is enough to require a policy in Illinois, because coverage is required from the first employee regardless of hours.
Does Illinois have a seasonal exemption?
No. Seasonal work is judged by the same first-employee rule as any other work. If you have paid seasonal help, you need coverage while they are on.
Do my seasonal workers need to be covered right away?
Yes. Part-time and seasonal staff must be covered from the moment they are hired, so the policy should be in place before the season starts.
Can I drop coverage in the off-season?
Sometimes, if you truly have no employees then. If you run only as the owner in the off-season you may not need a policy, but talk to us first so there is no uninsured day when staff return.
Are my part-time workers covered once I have a policy?
Yes. Once a policy is in place, every employee is covered, including part-time and seasonal staff, as long as their payroll is reported.
Why Illinois owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Illinois you buy workers' comp on the open market from any private carrier licensed in the state, because Illinois has no state fund; if no carrier will take you, the Illinois Workers' Compensation Assigned Risk Plan (the assigned-risk plan) is the guaranteed fallback, so we can shop your rate freely and still keep a backstop for hard-to-place work.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Illinois guides
Every Illinois business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Illinois (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- What workers comp does not cover
- Illinois retail store workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Illinois rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (IWCC) or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.