Both Illinois and the federal government have passed laws that prohibiting discrimination on the basis of certain protected characteristics. In Chicago, government and private organizations can be held liable for discrimination, depending on what type of trait the unfair treatment was initially based on.
How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?
An employer will be deemed guilty of employment discrimination if they treat an employee unfairly because they belong to a category that is legally protected. Traits that employers can not use to evaluate you include race, national origin, gender, religion and familial status. Plaintiffs in Chicago, Illinois are required to show that their employer treated them unfairly due to their protected status in order to prevail on an employment discrimination claim.
How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Illinois?
This can be shown if the employer has a history of mistreating people of the same status, or if individuals testify regarding the employer's particular statements that a reasonable person would conclude are biased. Furthermore, an employer who fires someone or otherwise retaliates because of a discrimination lawsuit is in clear violation of the law.
Pursuing an employment discrimination claim can often be complicated, because they involve filing your claim with certain agencies. Lawyers in the city of Chicago, Illinois may direct you in filing your claim on time, and while your case is pending, they can help you pursue further remedies that might be available for you.