Workplace Discrimination Lawyer
Employment Lawyers Handling Workplace Discrimination Cases
Each workplace discrimination lawyer at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, Ltd. recognizes that discrimination in the workplace is beneficial to no one. As an employee, facing employment discrimination could not only be embarrassing, but also cost you a job, promotion, career opportunity and income. As an employer, acts of employment discrimination could endanger your business and reputation.
Whether you are an employee facing discrimination in the workplace or an Illinois employer looking to establish sound workplace discrimination policies, speak with a employment law attorney for legal advice regarding federal and state employment discrimination laws. We understand both sides of employment law cases, and our lawyers will use this experience to work in your best interest.
What is Employment Discrimination?
In Illinois and throughout the nation, employment discrimination occurs when an employer makes a decision to hire, fire (wrongfully terminate), promote, compensate, train or provide benefits based on certain personal characteristics a worker may possess. Discrimination law refers to these employees as “protected classes.” These characteristics include race, religion, gender, ethnicity, age and disability. Employment discrimination can also refer to other acts of discrimination on the job, such as workplace harassment.
If you are a business owner in need of advice regarding Illinois employment discrimination laws, or if you are a worker experiencing discrimination in the workplace, our workplace discrimination lawyer can provide experienced guidance and are here to help. Our law firm offers more than 150 years’ cumulative legal experience in Illinois employment and business law.
Examples of Discrimination in the Workplace
Types of discrimination in the workplace vary and are often very personal. The following situations are common examples of workplace discrimination not tolerated in the state of Illinois and nationwide:
- Age discrimination – Refusing to employ a qualified candidate because they are over 40 years old
- Disability discrimination – Failing to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified employee with a disability that would allow him or her to work and would not impose undue hardship to the company
- Sex/gender discrimination – Paying a female employee less than her male coworker for a similar position
- Sexual orientation discrimination – Denying fair treatment to an employee because of his or her perceived or real sexual preference
- Race/racial discrimination – Employers making harassing and insulting remarks to an employee of another race, similar to national origin discrimination based on ethnicity
- Pregnancy discrimination – Firing (to wrongfully terminate) an employee who is experiencing temporary disability resulting from pregnancy
- Religious discrimination – Not allowing employees to swap shifts or use time off to celebrate holy and religious holidays, such as Ramadan and the Sabbath
If a company, manager, supervisor or coworker is treating you differently than your co-workers, and this treatment is based upon a protected class, these actions could be discriminatory.
Speak with a workplace discrimination lawyer at our firm if you have any questions regarding workplace discrimination or wish to file a claim. We are happy to share our understanding of employment law in Illinois and educate you about your workplace rights. In addition to assisting employees, our employment lawyers in Illinois often act as legal counsel to businesses looking to implement anti-discrimination policies and guide companies in workplace discrimination claims.
What are Illinois Employment Discrimination Laws?
There are numerous discrimination laws that serve to protect Illinois employees against the many forms of employment discrimination, such as:
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects individuals older than 40 from age discrimination in the workplace.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects qualified persons with mental or physical disabilities from unfair treatment on the job, in the application process and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations.
- The Equal Pay Act ensures men and women of the same qualifications and similar job responsibilities receive equal compensation for their work.
- Under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), an employer cannot commit acts of employment discrimination pertaining to an individual’s past health issues, current health status or health complications of their family members.
- The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) makes it illegal to engage in employment discrimination based upon an applicant’s current or past immigration status or that of their family.
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) protects pregnant employees from experiencing discrimination in the workplace related to their pregnancy, childbirth and other related health conditions. If an employee is temporarily disabled because of her pregnancy, she must be allowed to take the same length of maternity leave, disability leave or leave without pay like other temporarily disabled employees. The employer must also hold the job open for the same amount of time it holds jobs for employees on temporary or sick leave.
It is also against Illinois discrimination law to refuse to hire, promote, cut the job responsibilities of or harass an employee due to their race or religion.
An employment law attorney at the Des Plaines and Hoffman Estates law firm of MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, Ltd. has experience upholding the rights of employees who experience discrimination on the job. We also have the experience to assist employers and businesses in Illinois looking to put employment policies in place or defend against workplace discrimination lawsuits.
Contact An Experienced Workplace Discrimination Lawyer
If you believe you have experienced workplace discrimination in Illinois, speak with a Chicago employment law attorney who can recover fair compensation and other damages you suffered by holding employers accountable. We are also dedicated to helping Hoffman Estates and Des Plaines businesses sustain happy, diverse and functional workplaces. Call our employment law firm today.
