Both Illinois and the federal government have passed laws that prohibiting discrimination on the basis of certain protected characteristics. In Melrose Park, 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?

If an employee is a member of a legally protected category and their employer treats them unfairly because of that, the employer will be held liable for employment discrimination. Traits that employers may not use to evaluate you include race, national origin, gender, religion and familial status. The plaintiff must prove that their employer intended to treat them unfairly because of their protected status in order to prevail on a discrimination claim in Melrose Park, Illinois.

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 specific statements that a reasonable person would conclude are biased. Furthermore, employers may be held liable for firing someone or retaliating against them because they brought a discrimination lawsuit.

Procedures for pursuing an employment discrimination claim are complicated, because they involve filing the claim with the corresponding agency. An attorney in Melrose Park, Illinois can assist you in filing on time, as well as pursuing other remedies that are available to you while your claim is pending.