Employment Law-Protecting the Rights of Workers
Americans expect that their employers will follow certain basic standards of fairness when it comes to employment decisions. Certainly, businesses too often pass up the right people for promotions and lay off people that do good work. Nonetheless, some employment decisions may be so devoid of rational thought or fairness that they exceed the boundaries of the law. Illinois employment lawyers are available in these situations to protect the rights of workers.
Wrongful Termination and Discrimination Lawsuits
As any knowledgeable Illinois employment lawyer can explain, there are a number of state and federal laws that protect the rights of employees, including: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and others. Thousands of lawsuits are filed under these Acts every year. One of the most common types of employment lawsuits seen by employment lawyers is the wrongful termination lawsuit. In short, employers may not discriminate based on a “protected classification” for hiring, firing, and advancement decisions. Protected classifications include race, national origin, religion, gender, age, or disability. These lawsuits can be particularly complicated because the plaintiff, and his or her employment discrimination lawyer, must establish that the employment decision was based on the protected classification, not job performance.
Retaliation, Sexual Harassment, and Unfair Employment Contracts Lawsuits
Other types of common employment lawsuits include retaliation, sexual harassment, and unfair employment contracts. A retaliation lawsuit involves allegations that an employer retaliated against an employee for engaging in a protected activity, such as complaining of unlawful discrimination. A sexual harassment lawsuit involves allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior or comments in the workplace. Sexual harassment lawyers typically divide these cases into two types: quid pro quo cases in which an employer or supervisor demands sexual favors in exchange for advancement or certain perks, and hostile environment cases in which the employer creates an inappropriately sexual working environment. Unfair employment contracts are generally based on Illinois state law, and Illinois employment lawyers can help employees determine if they may have signed an unfair contract, such as a contract containing an overly broad non-compete clause.
Chicago Employment Attorneys Will Fight for Fair and Full Compensation
Victims of unlawful employment practices are entitled to fair and full compensation for their loss. It is the job of an experienced and knowledgeable Illinois employment attorney to fight for this compensation. Because there are so many different types of employment lawsuits, there is no simple formula for calculating appropriate damages. Typically, an employee is entitled to lost wages for the period in which he or she was unemployed, and the difference in wages if the employee was only able to secure a lower paying job. In addition, an employee may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, and exemplary or punitive damages if the employer’s actions were particularly egregious.
Contact the Chicago Civil Rights Attorneys at Dolan Law Offices
The Illinois employment lawyers at Dolan Law Offices represent employees and former employees throughout Illinois and the greater Chicagoland area, including Aurora, Addison, Chicago Heights, Joliet, Hillsdale, Plainfield, Rolling Meadows, Des Plaines, Schaumburg, Palatine, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Hanover Park, Streamwood, Prospect Heights, Wheeling, Wheaton, Waukegan, Inverness, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Elgin, Bartlett, Itasca, Bloomingdale, Wooddale, Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, McHenry County, and Will County.
If you are a victim of an unlawful employment practice, contact the Chicago employment lawyers at Dolan Law Offices online or at 312-676-7600.
