When Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s, women made up a small percentage of the workforce and were paid much less than their male counterparts. Today, gender discrimination and pay inequality still exist, but these problems are not as overt as they were a generation ago. In other words, gender anti-discrimination laws work, but they are only as effective as the attorneys who enforce them.
At the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline, we aggressively represent gender discrimination victims in Glenview. That discrimination can involve an entry or exit-level decision, or an everyday employment issue. If your rights were violated, you can count on us to fight for you.
The gender discrimination umbrella covers a wide variety of situations that can occur before, during, or even after the employment relationship exists between the two parties.
Pre-employment discrimination is perhaps the most insidious type of wrongdoing. A few employers do not even know that they are violating the law. For example, restricting some jobs to male-only or female-only is usually discriminatory, even if the employer believes there is a legitimate reason for the distinction.
Furthermore, some employers do not know or do not care, that “gender” involves nuances beyond just male and female. Sexual orientation discrimination is illegal and gender identity discrimination is probably illegal.
Pre-employment discrimination is also difficult to prove, so government investigators rarely follow up on these cases. Most employers do not give reasons for employment denials. They just say “no.”
During the employment relationship, sexual harassment is a serious problem. Not every coarse joke or vulgar comment is actionable, but Mitchell Kline can base a successful claim for relief on:
Many of these claims are based not on the harassment itself, but on retaliation for filing a claim. Additionally, when employees file sexual harassment grievances, employers have a legal duty to investigate them thoroughly, fairly, and swiftly.
When the employment relationship ends, there is usually an exit interview. At that meeting, most employers will not say something like, “We fired you because of your gender identity.” However, they may drop subtle hints during this interview. Additionally, unless the new employee is also a transgender person, the red flag becomes even redder.
In situations like this, the complainant must establish gender discrimination by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not).
Practically every day, another Cook County employee falls victim to gender discrimination. For a free consultation with an experienced employment law attorney in Glenview, contact the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline. After-hours visits are available.
