Proceeding Before The Illinois Human RIghts Commission
So what happens after you file your sexual harassment complaint with the Illinois Human Rights Commission ("IHRC")? Well you would have already gone through the Illinois Department of Human Rights ("IDHR") and will have an idea of the companies position against you. The key will be to evaluate your chances of success at the IHRC. Remember the standards are much different at the IHRC than they were at the IDHR. For this reason it is very important to be represented by an experienced employment law attorney. Things can get very tricky with the IHRC and you need to properly propound discovery to the other side. Additionally you must know the proper way to answer the discovery that is coming your way.
It is my experience that most cases will settle at the IHRC because the risk of a loss by the company is too great and too expensive. Remember if you are successful at the IHRC you can get your attorney fees, back wages and you can ask to be reinstated. Additionally you the Commission can file a document whereby the company can't get any government contracts for up to two years. This is a powerful incentive for the company to settle. Can you imagine if the company is getting two million dollars of government contracts per year. Do you think they are going to risk this on your case? But in order to put this type of pressure and leverage on the company you must be experienced in these types of negotiations.
