Both Illinois and the federal government have passed laws that prohibiting discrimination on the basis of specific protected characteristics. In Crete, government and private organizations may be held liable for discrimination, depending on what type of trait the unfair treatment was originally based on.

How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?

An employer will be found guilty of employment discrimination if they treat an employee unfairly because they belong to a class that is legally protected. Some traits which employers are not allowed to evaluate employees with are: race, age, national origin, religion, familial status, and gender. In order for a claim of employment discrimination to be proven, a Crete, Illinois plaintiff must show that his (or her) employer actively intended to treat him differently because of his protected status.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Illinois?

This may be proved when there is a history of the employer treating members of the class similarly, or if witnesses testify about the employer's statements which would constitute bias as understood by a reasonable person. Additionally, employers are in clear violation of the law when they fire someone or retaliate against them because they filed a discrimination lawsuit.

Procedures for pursuing an employment discrimination claim are complicated, because they involve filing the claim with the corresponding agency. Crete, Illinois has many lawyers available to assist you in filing in a timely fashion, and they can also help you pursue any remedies that might be available to you while your case is being processed.