EEOC Lawyer in Chicago, IL

Guiding Clients Through Employment Discrimination Claims

As an employee, you have the right to work in an environment free from discrimination and harassment. Unfortunately, not all work environments live up to this standard, which means some employees endure harassment or discrimination regularly. If this sounds like your situation, you may be able to improve it by filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which was created to help protect your human rights.

If you’re worried about the prospect of filing a legal claim on your own, we advise you to come to Atlas Law Center for legal assistance. Our lawyers are well-versed in Illinois’s employment laws and can use this knowledge to protect your rights at work. Call our Chicago law office today for a free consultation with our team.

What Is the EEOC?

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination based on protected characteristics. Those laws include the following:

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Americans with Disabilities Act
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Equal Pay Act
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
Any other anti-discrimination laws

These federal laws are in place to ensure employees do not have to suffer from workplace harassment or discrimination due to race, sex, gender, national origin, and other protected classes. If you believe you have experienced discrimination or harassment at work, filing a complaint with the EEOC will lead them to investigate the situation and determine whether to take legal action against your employer.

If you’re uncertain how to file a complaint with the EEOC, or if you already did and are not satisfied with their solution, contact our Chicago employment law firm to learn about the legal recourse available to you. Our skilled employment discrimination lawyers are ready to help you seek justice if you’ve been treated unfairly at work and want it to stop.

How Do You Know If You Have an Illinois Workplace Discrimination Case?

Before making a discrimination claim, you should ensure your scenario fits the definition of workplace discrimination. For the EEOC to consider your claim, you must belong to a protected class and believe you were targeted for discrimination or harassment due to this. You can file this type of claim if your employer has treated you unfairly based on:

Disability
Age, if you’re 40 or older
Race
Skin color
Religion
Sex
Sexual orientation
National origin
Gender identity
Pregnancy
Genetic information

If you belong to at least one of these protected classes, the next step is to consider what kind of treatment you’ve experienced at work and how it involves your protected class. You might have a case if you’ve had to deal with one or more of the following at work:

Not getting a job or promotion despite being highly qualified
Not being offered the same wages and benefits as other employees
Being subjected to inappropriate or offensive remarks involving your protected characteristics
Being denied pay raises while other employees regularly get them
Having your requests for medical leave or paid time off turned down
Being denied a reasonable accommodation that’s necessary for your disabilities
Being left out of important meetings, training exercises, and social events due to your race, age, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics
Dealing with sexual harassment at work
Getting disciplined at work for the same actions other employees take without issue
Being terminated for reasons other than your job performance

If any of these examples of workplace harassment or discrimination seem familiar to you, it’s time to call an experienced EEOC lawyer. Chicago employers are expected to offer all employees a safe work environment free of discrimination, sexual harassment, or other forms of workplace harassment. If they cannot provide this, the EEOC will step in and begin enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination.

Whether you’re experiencing age discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, sexual harassment, or other issues that lead to a hostile work environment, it’s time to put a stop to it. Contact our Chicago employment law firm today to schedule a free consultation with caring lawyers.

What Should You Do If Your Employer Has Discriminated Against You?

Now that you know how workplace discrimination is defined and realize you’ve been victimized by it, you might wonder what the next step is. The answer is filing a complaint with the EEOC so they can investigate your discrimination claim. If this sounds intimidating, you can hire Chicago employment discrimination lawyers to guide you through this process.

That being said, it’s not as daunting as you might think, since the EEOC uses Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs to streamline the discrimination claims process for employees. ADR programs are designed to resolve workplace disputes in a more informal and efficient manner, without the need for a formal legal process. The EEOC offers several types of ADR programs, including mediation, settlement discussions, and conciliation.

Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party helps the parties involved in a dispute reach a mutually acceptable resolution. Settlement discussions are similar to mediation but less formal. Conciliation is a process in which the EEOC assists the parties in reaching a settlement agreement.

The EEOC’s ADR programs can be effective in resolving workplace disputes. According to the EEOC, more than 70% of ADR cases are resolved successfully, saving time and money for employees and employers dealing with workplace discrimination and harassment disputes.

However, not all disputes can be resolved through ADR programs. If ADR is unsuccessful, an employee may choose to file an employment discrimination law claim with the EEOC. This involves filing a charge of discrimination with the EEOC, which will investigate the claim and determine whether there is evidence of discrimination. If so, they will issue you a right-to-sue letter so you can proceed to a discrimination lawsuit against your employer.

A skilled workplace discrimination attorney can assist with this process to ensure you have a chance to get the compensation you deserve after having your human rights violated at work. They can also assist with filing a charge of employment discrimination with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, which enforces the Illinois Human Rights Act. If you’re interested in learning more about your legal options, call our Chicago employment law firm to speak with trusted employment discrimination attorneys.

How Can a Chicago EEOC Lawyer Assist You?

If you’re considering taking legal action after experiencing devastating employment discrimination, contact Atlas Law Center to discuss your case. Our lawyers are knowledgeable about state and federal law regarding employment discrimination and harassment, and they’ve worked hand in hand with the EEOC and the Illinois Department of Human Rights to get justice for employees over the years.

You deserve to pursue compensation after your employer treated you unfairly, so we advise you to reach out to our lawyers to get started on your case. Keep in mind there are strict time limits on when you can take legal action, which is why you should contact our lawyers as soon as possible. Call 630-394-6350 today for your free consultation with trusted Chicago lawyers.