Arlington Heights Employment Discrimination Attorney
The largest “village” in the United States is well-known for various thoroughbred racing events. Unfortunately, some area employers do not treat their employees much better than horses. Bosses do not have a duty to provide stress-free or worker-friendly environments, but they do have a duty to provide discrimination-free environments. More than 50 years after the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, direct and indirect discrimination is still a problem in Arlington Heights and surrounding communities.
Arlington Heights employment discrimination attorney Mitchell Kline understands the pain of job discrimination. So, our professional team works hard to stand up for the legal rights of these victims. Because of our solid reputation, we are often able to settle matters out of court in ways that obtain both compensation and justice for employees who have felt the sting of job discrimination.
The aforementioned Civil Rights Act established a number of protected employee classes. These individuals have special protections under both federal and state anti-discrimination laws, such as the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act. These protected classes include:
The law broadly defines all these categories. Disability is a good illustration. A disability is any physical, emotional, mental, or other condition which affects daily living. The condition need not be genetic or even entirely involuntary. In most cases, substance addiction and obesity are physical disabilities.
On a similar note, federal and state laws also apply to workers who engage in protected activities. This list includes whistleblowers, witnesses in illegal conduct investigations, and persons who file workers’ compensation claims.
It is hard to believe that disparate treatment discrimination still exists in Illinois. Sadly, however, it does. So, Arlington Heights employment discrimination attorney Mitchell Kline does his part to end such practices.
Discrimination is often disguised as something else. Pregnancy discrimination is a good illustration. Frequently, employers reassign pregnant women to lower-paying shifts or duties, ostensibly to protect their unborn children. But these decisions belong to the woman and not to her employer.
In other situations, job bias is not directed at certain individuals or classes. Instead, certain rules have a disparate impact on certain groups. For example, many employers have English-only policies. These rules obviously discriminate against workers whose first language is something other than English. Unless the employer can provide a compelling reason for the rule, the policy is discriminatory.
Procedurally, Arlington Heights employment discrimination attorney Mitchell Kline presents a prima facie case of discrimination. That usually means the plaintiff was in a protected class and suffered adverse action. Then, the employer must provide a discriminatory-neutral reason for the adverse action.
Workplace bias has no place in American society. For a free consultation with an experienced Arlington Heights employment discrimination attorney, contact the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline. After hours visits are available.
