Homelessness Discrimination

​

Do you believe you were denied employment or treated unfairly by an employer because you are homeless?

​

Call today for a free consultation -- the Law Office of Jeffrey J. Kmoch may be able to help.

Homeless individuals deserve the opportunity to work and lift themselves out of poverty.

 

However, until recently, employers could freely refuse to hire homeless individuals because they lacked a permanent mailing address or used the mailing address of a shelter or social service provider.  This imposed a significant hurdle for homeless individuals to find work and improve their lives. 

To combat this issue, in 2013, Illinois passed the Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act which amended the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) to prohibit employment discrimination and harassment against individuals that lack a permanent mailing address or use the mailing address of a shelter or social service provider.  Accordingly, in Illinois, employers cannot use an individual’s lack of a permanent mailing address or using the mailing address of a shelter or social service provider as grounds for adverse employment actions such as failure to hire, termination, harassment, creating a hostile work environment, failure to promote, or compensation discrimination.   

The IHRA also prohibits retaliation against an individual for opposing discriminatory employment practices or for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the statute.

Attorney Jeffrey Kmoch has extensive experience litigating and counseling on matters involving employment discrimination.  If you believe you have been refused employment because you lack a permanent mailing address or use the mailing address of a shelter or social service provider, call today for a free consultation.

Statutes of limitations and deadlines to file administrative agency charges apply to employment discrimination claims, so time may be of the essence.

​

​