The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
Most employers with at least 15 employees are covered by EEOC laws (20 employees in age discrimination cases). Most labor unions and employment agencies are also covered. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.
The mission of the U.S. Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.
The Department of Human Rights administers the Illinois Human Rights Act. The Illinois Human Rights Act (“Act”) prohibits discrimination in Illinois with respect to employment, financial credit, public accommodations and real estate transactions on the bases of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual harassment), national origin, ancestry, military status, age (40 and over), order of protection status, marital status, sexual orientation (which includes gender-related identity), unfavorable military discharge and physical and mental disability. The Act also prohibits sexual harassment in education, discrimination because of citizenship status and arrest record in employment, and discrimination based on familial status in real estate transactions.
The mission of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is to promote and protect the rights, wages, welfare, working conditions, safety and health of Illinois workers through enforcement of state labor laws, to safeguard the public through regulation of amusement rides and to ensure compliance with all other labor standards.
IDOL is responsible for the administration and enforcement of 25 labor and safety laws.
The IDES administers the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, collecting roughly $2 billion in employer taxes and disbursing roughly $2 billion to unemployed claimants each year. In addition, the IDES provides employment services to employers and job seekers throughout Illinois.
