No employer may discharge or suspend any employee by reason of the fact that his or her earnings have been subjected to a deduction order for any one indebtedness. Any person violating this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
12-818.Discharge or suspension of employee prohibited.
Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 8. Wage Deductions · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceBars an employer from discharging or suspending an employee because a deduction order reached the employee's earnings for any one debt, and makes violating that ban a Class A misdemeanor.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/12-818
Plain-English Summary
Section 12-818 protects an employee's job against retaliation for being garnished. No employer may discharge or suspend an employee by reason of the fact that the employee's earnings have been subjected to a deduction order for any one indebtedness. The prohibition covers both firing and suspension, not just termination outright.
Illinois backs that protection with a criminal penalty: anyone who violates this section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. The text ties the protection to earnings being garnished 'for any one indebtedness' and does not separately address what happens when an employee faces deduction orders on more than one debt at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an employer fire an employee in Illinois because their wages are being garnished?
No. Section 12-818 bars discharging or suspending an employee by reason of earnings having been subjected to a deduction order for any one indebtedness.
Does the prohibition cover suspension as well as firing?
Yes. The statute bars both discharge and suspension on account of the wage deduction.
What is the penalty for an employer who violates this section?
A Class A misdemeanor.
Does this protection cover an employee garnished for more than one debt at once?
The statute protects against discharge or suspension by reason of earnings being subjected to a deduction order 'for any one indebtedness'; it does not separately address multiple simultaneous deduction orders.
Is this a civil protection or a criminal one?
It carries a criminal penalty -- violation is classified as a Class A misdemeanor -- rather than only a civil remedy for the employee.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
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