The Role of the EEOC in Federal Employee Discrimination Claims in Illinois
Feb. 6, 2020
Job discrimination based on unchangeable factors is not only unfair, it is downright inhumane. Fortunately, both private and federal employees in Illinois are protected against workplace discrimination in several ways.
According to the Illinois Human Rights Act, employers cannot discriminate against workers on the basis of color, race, religion, sex, ancestry, nationality of origin, marital status and several other factors. Similarly, federal anti discrimination laws apply to employers who have more than 15 employees and those that have more than one employee have to comply with sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination and disability discrimination provisions.
The role of the EEOC in Federal Employee Discrimination Claims
If you think you are being discriminated against in the workplace, you can file a claim with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). To choose which one you should file the claim with, look to your workplace. If it has between 15 or 20 employees, you can file with the former. If it has more than 20 employees and is a federal agency, file with the latter – especially if you face discrimination due to your age.
The EEOC is important in this regarding because its main aim is to interpret and enforce federal laws, which prohibit workplace discrimination. This includes Title VII, which prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who complained about them and prevent them from asserting their rights.
The regulating body also protects pregnant women who are discriminated against in the workplace because of their condition. According to Congress, the law now clarifies this discriminatory action is akin to sexual discrimination.
The EEOC also protects disabled employees who are prevented from earning an income because their employer’s failure to provide reasonable accommodations, which can allow them to fulfill their job duties. Similarly, it also enforces the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Genetic Information Non Discrimination Act (GINA) to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of age and genetics respectively.
If you think you have been discriminated against in any of the aforementioned ways, get in touch with the Law Office of Michael Smith for aggressive legal representation. We will assert your legal rights, so you don’t have to. We are not afraid to go up against large conglomerates in Schaumburg, Illinois. We understand such concerns in intimate detail and have more than 30 years of experience fighting for worker rights and compensations.