Illinois Names Federal Wage Enforcer to Labor Department
Illinois employers should expect a new enforcement emphasis as the state's labor department gets a director with federal wage-and-hour experience.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
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Gov. JB Pritzker has appointed Mike Lazzeri as director of the Illinois Department of Labor, taking over on November 1, 2026, after Jane Flanagan's departure at the end of October. The appointment is pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate, so employers and workers should watch for that vote as the state's labor enforcement leadership changes hands.
Why it matters
The leadership change matters for Illinois employers because the department's enforcement priorities tend to follow its director, and Lazzeri's background is in federal wage-and-hour enforcement. Under Flanagan, the department significantly increased staffing and more than tripled annual unpaid wages collected for workers, so businesses should expect continuity or a shift in enforcement focus to be tested in the coming months.
Lazzeri brings more than 20 years of federal experience, including 15 years at the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division and five years in the Office of Management and Budget. Under Flanagan, the department more than tripled annual unpaid wages collected for workers, though the appointment still requires Illinois Senate confirmation.
The players
Mike Lazzeri
Former regional administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division for the Midwest, with 15 years at the division and more than 20 years of federal experience.
Jb Pritzker
Governor of Illinois, who made the appointment of Lazzeri to lead the state labor department.
Jane Flanagan
Former director of the Illinois Department of Labor, who led the agency for more than four years and was named a 2025 Workforce Innovation Fellow.
Illinois Department of Labor
The state agency responsible for enforcing Illinois wage, workplace, and labor standards that apply to employers across the state.
The details
Lazzeri most recently served as regional administrator of the Wage and Hour Division for the Midwest, where his role oversaw enforcement of more than a dozen laws across 10 states. His team received the Federal Employees of the Year award from the Partnership for Public Service in 2024, and the Pritzker announcement described his team's work as the largest and most impactful child labor investigations in the division's history. Flanagan, who led the department for more than four years, presided over significant staffing increases before her departure.
Timeline
End of October 2026: Jane Flanagan departed the Illinois Department of Labor.
November 1, 2026: Mike Lazzeri took over leadership of the department, pending Senate confirmation.
2024: Lazzeri's team received the Federal Employees of the Year award.
Market Landscape
Lazzeri's background in the federal Wage and Hour Division connects Illinois to national wage-enforcement practice, including the child labor investigations his team led. State labor departments often adjust enforcement priorities when leadership changes, making the transition a useful signal for employers tracking compliance expectations in the Midwest.
Illinois employers should review their wage, hour, and child labor compliance practices in light of the new leadership, since enforcement emphasis may shift under Lazzeri. Businesses that rely on the department for guidance should track the Senate confirmation and any early policy signals from the new director.
The takeaway
Leadership changes at state labor agencies often reset enforcement priorities, so operators should audit wage and child labor compliance now rather than waiting for new guidance. Watch for the Illinois Senate confirmation vote, which will signal when the new director's agenda becomes official.
What happens next
The Illinois Senate must confirm Lazzeri's appointment before he can formally serve as director of the Illinois Department of Labor.
Further reading
For more on leadership moves shaping the business world, see People coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The State Journal-Register.
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