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​Experienced ILLINOIS Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
& CHICAGO Injury Lawyers

Employment Discrimination

Employment discrimination is prohibited by state and federal law when hiring, promoting or terminating an employee. Accordingly, an employer cannot fire or refuse to hire you based on race, gender, national origin, religion, disability or age. In some jurisdictions, it is also illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or military service.

Not only is employment discrimination illegal, but it is also illegal to retaliate against an employee who reports employment discrimination. The Chicago employment discrimination attorneys at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca have focus on representing employees who have suffered from employment discrimination and retaliatory discharge.

Discrimination Laws

Under federal law, including the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, employers are prohibited from terminating an employee or choosing not to hire or promote a person based solely on the fact that the individual falls into one of the following “protected classes:”

In addition, the Illinois Human Rights Act also prohibits discrimination based on the following:

  • Arrest record
  • Marital status
  • Sexual orientation
  • Physical and mental disability
  • Citizenship status
  • Ancestry
  • Military status
  • Sexual harassment
  • Orders of protection

If you believe you have been the victim of discrimination, you may file a complaint with the Illinois Human Rights Commission. The employment discrimination lawyers at our Chicago firm can assist you with this process.

Wrongful Termination/Retaliatory Discharge

In Illinois, employees are generally deemed to be “employees at will” if there is not a written employment agreement. In other words, the employment arrangement can generally be terminated by either the employee or the employer at any time and for any reason. This broad discretion is not without limits and exceptions, however. For instance, employers are not permitted to fire an employee in retaliation for making a worker’s compensation, for reporting safety violations, or for reporting employer fraud.

How Can We Help?

Employment discrimination laws are complex laws with several nuances. In addition, legal actions involving allegations of employment discrimination are incredibly fact-specific and require a great deal of discovery and information collection. Pursing a claim of employment discrimination or wrongful termination can be a daunting task without the help of a skilled employment discrimination attorney. The Chicago employment discrimination lawyers at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca has focuses on representing plaintiffs in employment discrimination, Family Medical Leave Act and wage and overtime violation cases.

Contact Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca at 312-724-5846 to schedule a consultation with an employment discrimination attorney in Chicago so that we can discuss your case.