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Why you should actually read your employment agreement before you sign!

We recently had an employment agreement related issue arise here at the firm that reminded me how unequal the bargaining power can be in employment relationships. A very large Bank here in Chicago slipped into an equity incentive agreement-a provision which altered the statute of limitations for our …

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New laws are oftentimes drafted to take effect at the beginning of the following year, and employment laws are no exception. On January 1, 2016, Chicagoans gained an increase in minimum wage, Illinoisans got an expansion of equal pay protections, and veterans received legislative leg-up in the workplace with the implementation of new Illinois employment laws.

First, the minimum …

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In my last post I talked about getting the time off work you need for treatment and to care for yourself when faced with a serious illness. Now let’s look at maintaining your income while seeking treatment and/or recovering.

First, this article addresses conditions that are unrelated to work. If your injury or illness resulted at work …

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How to care for yourself without derailing your career

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month the following is the first part of a three-part series regarding coping with a serious health condition, like cancer, in the workplace.

This first part deals with the immediate:  getting time off work for treatment without losing your job.

Oftentimes illnesses …

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A Primer for the Unemployed Part 3: Caring for Yourself While Unemployed

We get it:  you lost your job and all you want to do is either lay in bed and watch Mad Men reruns or compulsively surf the internet for job postings.  Neither of those options, however, is going to get you what you want:  a job that makes you happy.

As employment lawyers, …

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A Supreme Court Victory for Pregnant Employees 

We have been watching the case of Young v. UPS for some time now.  UPS refused to provide its pregnant employees who had physically demanding jobs with light duty work.  The Plaintiff in this case was a delivery driver and was required to lift up to 70 pounds.  When she became pregnant, her doctor told …

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Yesterday was International Women’s Day which was created to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality.

Women in the United States have a lot of achievements to celebrate–certainly more so than many other countries.  That being said, the United States still has a ways to go with respect to women’s rights and that is most apparent in the employment …

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On January 1, 2015, the new Illinois Pregnancy Accommodation Act went into effect and gives Illinois employees a wealth of fantastic protections.

It’s an important law and a hard-fought victory for the groups, including Women Employed, who lobbied for its passage.  The Act, which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act, provides greater protections for pregnant women than the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act …

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July 1, 2010 Marks a Day of Hope for Uninsured Americans with Preexisting Medical Conditions

Under the national health care reform bill signed into law by President Obama earlier this year, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to refuse to sell health insurance coverage or refuse to renew health insurance coverage because of an individual’s preexisting medical condition. However, this …

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What Employees Need to Know

The Baseline: Employee Rights Under COBRA, Generally

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”) requires employers with 20 or more employees who offer health benefits to provide continued coverage to “qualified beneficiaries” for up to 18 months after a “qualifying event;” however, the employee must pay the entire premium. A “qualified beneficiary” is an individual …

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