Wheaton Employment Law for Employees Attorney

Experienced Workers' Rights Lawyer Helping With Discrimination, Wage Violations, and More in Wheaton, IL

Your job is an extremely significant part of your life. Whether you work part-time in a fast food restaurant or full-time as a surgeon, you need worker protections. Illinois and federal law protects certain rights employees have, like the right to be compensated fairly and the right to be free from harassment. Without these laws, workers would often find themselves in a very unfair bargaining position. Imagine if people could lose their jobs for taking time off to manage a serious illness or alerting a regulatory agency that their employer is putting a dangerous product on the market. It would be nearly impossible for workers to stand up to corporations to demand things like fair pay, equal treatment, and safe working conditions.

If you believe that you have had your rights as a worker violated, you should seek help from an experienced Wheaton, IL employment law for employees attorney. JSL Law, LLC is committed to helping workers who have faced situations like retaliatory firing, a hostile work environment, and denial of FMLA leave. Dedicated workers' rights attorney Jolianne Alexander will do all she can to resolve the situation to your satisfaction, whether that means having you restored to your original position or getting you compensation for unpaid wages. She will work closely with you to make sure your case is handled in a way that is likely to produce the outcome you want.

Wage and Hour Violations

Workers have the right to be compensated fairly for all the hours they have worked. Common types of wage and hour violations include:

• Working off the clock - Employers should not ask workers to do any work before clocking in or after clocking out, including while the employee is on break.
• Not paying overtime - If you are an hourly worker who worked more than 40 hours in a given week, you should be paid time and a half for the extra hours.
• Assigning "side work" - When tipped employees are asked to perform "side work" they do not receive tips while performing, they should be paid regular minimum wage, not tipped minimum wage.

Workplace Discrimination Claims

Employers cannot discriminate against employees based on protected traits such as race, religion, gender identity, disability status, and several other protected categories. Discrimination is not always readily apparent - few employers will admit to having a discriminatory reason for deciding whether to hire, promote, or retain a certain employee. However, trends in hiring, firing, and promoting often become apparent over time. There are also cases where a specific employee can show that he or she individually was subjected to unfair adverse employment action due to a protected characteristic, such as if a woman is told she cannot be promoted until she is "done having kids."

Reasonable Accommodations for Disabled and Pregnant Employees

Employees who are disabled or pregnant have the right to receive reasonable accommodations that will enable them to perform their job duties. Accommodations are considered reasonable if they are not excessively burdensome for the employer, and when the employee who receives them is able to substantially perform the job he or she was hired to do. Things that only cause an employer minor inconvenience or expense, like allowing a pregnant worker to sit down more frequently or providing a sign language interpreter during meetings for a deaf employee are almost always considered reasonable.

Whistleblower Protections

Employees who report their employers' dangerous or illegal practices to the proper authorities are protected against retaliation. Workers who become aware that the company they work for is putting people in danger or breaking the law should be able to speak out without fear of losing their job or being denied advancement opportunities. Whistleblower protections laws help everyone who could be impacted by corporate misconduct, not just employees.

Contact a Wheaton, IL Employment Law for Employees Attorney

JSL Law, LLC is dedicated to protecting the rights of employees. Experienced Wheaton employment law attorney Jolianne Alexander will do all she can to resolve your employment dispute in a way you are happy with. Contact us at 630-730-8135 for a complimentary consultation.