Both Illinois and the federal government have passed laws that prohibiting discrimination on the basis of specific protected characteristics. In East St. Louis, 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. Some traits which employers are not allowed to evaluate employees with include: race, age, national origin, religion, familial status, and gender. To show employment discrimination in East St. Louis, Illinois, the plaintiff needs to be able to show that the employer's intent to treat them unfairly was motivated by their protected status.

How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Illinois?

This may be shown if the employer has treated others of the same status similarly, or when people testify to particular statements made by the employer that would indicate bias when heard by a reasonable person. Furthermore, an employer violates the law if they terminate a person's employment or otherwise retaliate in response to a discrimination lawsuit filed against them.

Because it involves filing a claim with particular agencies, the procedure for pursuing employment discrimination claims can be complicated. East St. Louis, Illinois has many lawyers available to help 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.