Discrimination at Work
775 ILCS 5/7A-102 — a charge with the Department of Human Rights within 2 years
It is a civil rights violation for an employer to refuse to hire, segregate, harass, or act on recruitment, hiring, promotion, discharge, discipline or the terms and conditions of employment on the basis of unlawful discrimination as the Act defines it, citizenship status, work authorization status, or family responsibilities.
Who handles this in Illinois: Equip for Equality and Illinois Department of Human Rights; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
An employer is responsible for harassment by its nonmanagerial and nonsupervisory employees only where it becomes aware of the conduct and fails to take reasonable corrective measures.
| Where | Filed within |
|---|---|
| WhereA written charge, under oath, with the Department of Human Rights | Filed within2 years after the date of the alleged violation |
| WhereA charge with the EEOC, which counts as filed with the Department | Filed within300 calendar days after the alleged violation |
Sources for this section (2)
- 775 ILCS 5/2-102 — Civil rights violations; employment
- 775 ILCS 5/7A-102 — Procedures
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.