Chicago, Ill. Employment Discrimination Lawyer
Contractors and at-will employees have state and federal rights
It is illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, physical disability or age when hiring, firing, promoting, assigning, terminating, compensating, managing or otherwise making decisions about job applicants, employees or former employees. You have legal rights under both state and federal law. The law office of Douglas W. Graham can help you get compensation for injuries suffered as a result of job discrimination or harassment.
If you believe that your employer’s behavior was motivated by a discriminatory purpose, it is important to file a complaint with your employer so that your employer has an opportunity to correct an egregious error. If nothing happens, you may have a valid legal claim in which you may be entitled to money damages. The law protects employees who have experienced any of the following types of discriminatory behavior or harassment:
- Discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability or age
- Sexual harassment by a manager, employer, fellow employee or co-worker
- Retaliatory behavior by employers for whistle-blowing or reporting misconduct
- Unequal pay for employees with similar job roles and commensurate performance
- Height- or weight-based restrictions that have a disparate impact on men and women
- Refusal to make reasonable accommodation of religious rituals for an employee or prospective employee
- Discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, physical injury or incommunicable illness
- Other employment practices that are predicated on stereotypes about abilities, traits or performance of people of a certain race, sex, religion, national origin, disability or age
- Unjust termination based on taking justifiable legal action
Take action to hold those responsible accountable
In order to have a valid legal claim, you must report incidents of discriminatory conduct or harassment to the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 90 days of the last discriminatory incident. The IDHR or the EEOC then investigates your claim. If they find a violation, they will help you seek resolution through administrative channels. If they do not find a violation, the EEOC will issue a Notice-of-Right-to-Sue letter and you will have to hire independent legal counsel to assist you with suing your employer. That’s where the law office of Douglas W. Graham can be of service.
Call us for a free initial consultation with a lawyer. If we agree to represent you, there will never be a charge to discuss your case with you by telephone, by mail or email, or in person.
Our legal fees for employment discrimination matters are contingent on whether we win your case — we do not get paid unless and until you receive a settlement or money judgment. Call (773) 309-4806 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. Our Chicago-based lawyers are licensed to practice throughout Illinois, and are willing to travel to meet with clients in Cook, DuPage, Will and Lake counties. We offer flexible hours by appointment.
