Lawyers Working for Illinois Employees
Mistreated at work? Our attorneys can fight for the money you deserve
Workers have rights in Illinois. They deserve to be paid for every hour they work, including overtime pay. They have the right to work without fear of being subject to illegal harassment or discrimination. And if Illinois workers become sick or need to care for a loved one, they should get time off as guaranteed under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
If an Illinois employer violates these rights, they should be held responsible for their actions. That’s why we want to meet with you. It’s our job at Nilges Draher LLC to fight for the rights of workers. And that’s exactly what our employment law attorneys have been successfully doing for years throughout the Midwest.
If you believe your rights have been violated in the workplace, we can work with you and build a strong legal case designed to succeed. We handle a wide range of federal employment cases throughout the Midwest, including:
Whatever type of federal employment law case you’re dealing with in Illinois, we can take a stand and make sure your concerns get the attention they rightfully deserve. We’re on the job and ready to work hard for you.
How Illinois employment law cases work
Illinois workplace discrimination and harassment cases are investigated by several state and federal agencies. At the state level, the Illinois Attorney General’s office and/or the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC) investigate such claims. At the federal level, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and/or the U.S. Department of Justice also conduct their own investigation.
However, even if your complaint is being formally investigated by a state or federal agency, you need your own advocate. Those agencies are concerned with dealing with employers that have broken the law, not advocating for employees. That’s our job. That’s why we want to help. When you have our experienced team of employment law attorneys on your side, we can make sure your case gets the focus and attention it rightfully deserves.
Contact us to schedule an appointment to discuss your case. Your conversation with us will be confidential and you are not obligated to hire us. We simply want to help you understand your rights and explain the legal options available to you.
Wrongful Termination
Illinois is an “at-will” employment state. However, that doesn’t mean your employer can fire you for any reason. Employers must respect state and federal employment laws. They can’t discriminate against workers based on their race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics. Employers also cannot retaliate against workers for exercising their legal rights, including filing a complaint against their employer or taking family leave as allowed under the FMLA.
Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to fight for:
- Reinstatement – Getting your job back.
- Back pay – Any wages you were not paid due to being wrongfully terminated.
- Front pay – Any pay you are entitled to while you look for a new job or from the date when you are reinstated into your job.
- Compensatory damages – Money (damages) for expenses you experienced as a result of being wrongfully terminated.
Employers must respect your rights. When they don’t, it’s our job to hold them accountable for their actions. Discover what a dedicated wrongful termination lawyer can do for you. Contact our law firm right now.
Discrimination
Strict state and federal laws in Illinois protect employees from being discriminated against on certain grounds. In Illinois, such protections apply to a person’s race, gender, religion, age (if over 40 years old), marital status, military status, citizenship status, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics.
Workplace discrimination can take many forms– from not hiring someone based on protected characteristics to demoting them or passing them over for promotions, pay raises, and other benefits. Many employers try to get away with unlawful discrimination by claiming that their actions have nothing to do with those factors. That’s why it’s critical that you have an employment lawyer experienced in discrimination cases on your side, standing up for your rights.
Harassment
You should be able to go to work without fear of being harassed on the job. Unfortunately, workplace harassment sometimes occurs in Illinois. Sometimes, such harassment is based on a protected characteristic, including your race, gender, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Other times, workplace harassment may involve sexual harassment, including supervisors or co-workers making unwanted sexual advances or other inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature.
Whatever type of harassment you have experienced on the job, our lawyers can work with you to build a strong, effective legal case. We know the state and federal laws that apply to workplace harassment in Illinois. We know how to investigate such complaints and litigate cases in federal court. We can be there for you advocating for your rights – and the compensation you deserve – every step of the way.
Medical Leave and FMLA
Under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), most employees are guaranteed the right to take unpaid time off for a variety of medical and family reasons. If you work for a company that has more than 50 employees within 75 miles of your employer and you have worked for your company for at least 12 months, the FMLA rules and regulations apply. This means you have the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the following reasons:
- Medical care or time off to recover from medical treatment due to a serious illness or injury.
- Caring for an immediate family member (child, spouse, parent, etc.) with a serious illness or injury.
- Caring for a new child, including biological children and adopted children.
If your employer refuses to give you this time off or retaliates against you for taking unpaid leave for any of these reasons, you have rights. You can and should take legal action against them for refusing to abide by the FMLA. Unlawful discrimination and retaliation against employees who exercise these rights is a serious legal matter. That’s why you need an experienced FMLA attorney on your side, working with you every step of the way.
Wage and Hour Claims
Strict state and federal laws apply in Illinois when it comes to how much money employers must pay workers. Illinois has a mandatory minimum wage for most jobs. Employers are required to pay overtime to employees who work more than 40 hours a week unless they fit the legal criteria to be exempt. If you spend time answering emails, assisting customers, or doing anything else outside of your scheduled shift, such tasks are considered work and you should be compensated for working those extra hours.
Unfortunately, some employers don’t understand wage and hour laws or intentionally ignore them. Either way, our law firm can work with you and demand the money you deserve for the hours you worked. Wage and hour claims can cover a wide range, including:
- Minimum wage violations
- Unpaid overtime
- Unpaid breaks
- Unpaid travel time
- Misclassifying employees as independent contractors
- Misclassifying employees as exempt employees
- Unlawful rounding (time clock punches that round your hours down)
- Failure to account for bonuses and commissions in your overtime pay
You work hard. You deserve to be paid for every single hour you work. If your employer violates wage and hour laws, you can count on our wage and hour attorneys to demand the money you rightfully earned. We know the law and will work tirelessly on your behalf. Contact us to learn more about your rights. Schedule an appointment today.
DISCLAIMER: Nilges Draher LLC attorneys are admitted to practice in Illinois federal courts, but are not licensed Illinois attorneys.