Cynthia Pietrucha
Employment Litigation Attorney
For all of your employment challenges, contact our firm at (630) 344-6370
My focus: Workplace Mistreatment, Severance Agreements and Medical Leave violations.
Attorney Cynthia Pietrucha is an employment discrimination attorney who advocates for employees fired or forced to separate from their jobs. She also educates management, human resources, and corporate counsel on best practices for compliance with workplace laws.
Right to be Treated Equally: Representation for Workplace Discrimination or harassment on the basis of disability, pregnancy, race, gender, religion, and more. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for employees who work in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, California, and assistance to employers in writing convincing EEOC Position Statements. Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR). Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC).
Right to Join with Coworkers to Improve Working Conditions without a union: Representation at the National Labor Relations Board.
Right to a Safe and Healthy Workplace: Workers' Compensation, COVID-19 protective gear, safety gear
Benefits: Unemployment Benefits Telephone Hearings, Medical Leave, FMLA.
Proper Pay: Unpaid wages, commissions, bonuses and breach of contract. Representation at the Illinois Department of Labor and in state and federal court.
Severance Pay: Severance Agreement review and negotiation.
Workplace Investigations: Theft, Discrimination, Harassment, Time and Attendance
Workplace Training: Diversity and Inclusion, Sexual Harassment, New Employee Onboarding, Employee Retention
Book a phone meeting online at www.pietruchalaw.com OR Call today at (630) 344-6370
- Employment Law
- Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, ERISA, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- Arbitration & Mediation
- Business Arbitration, Consumer Arbitration, Family Arbitration
- Consumer Law
- Class Action, Lemon Law
- Severance Agreement
- Pregnancy Discrimination
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Credit Cards Accepted
We accept all major credits and PayPal. - Contingent Fees
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Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
Book your consultation online at https://calendly.com/pietruchalaw
- Illinois
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- 7th Circuit
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- English: Spoken, Written
- Managing Attorney
- Pietrucha Law Firm, LLC
- Current
- American Medical Association
- Law Offices of Joel Weisman, P.C.
- Northern Illinois University
- J.D. (2009)
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- University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
- B.A. (2006) | Pre-Law, Journalism and Spanish
- Honors: President's Leadership Award
- Activities: Spanish Tutor
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- Selected as Top 40 under 40 Illinois Employment Lawyers
- The National Black Lawyers
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- Member
- Current
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- American Bar Association
- Business Law Section, Employment Law Section
- Current
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- Illinois State Bar # 6315653
- Member
- Current
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- ISBA Standing Committee on Women & the Law, ISBA Standing Committee on Women & the Law, Chicago, IL
- Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
- Illinois Association of Public Procurement Officials Fall 2015 Conference, Illinois Association of Public Procurement Officials Fall 2015 Conference, Lombard, IL
- Illinois Associaton of Public Procurement Officials
- Q. In illinois, does unpaid medical leave make you eligible for unemployment benefits?
- A: I'm sorry to hear about your injury. If you haven't already, you should ask your employer for a light duty assignment supported by a doctor's note indicating the need to do work that does not require standing for long periods of time. The employer would then have the duty to explore alternative job changes you might be able to perform. If you can no longer perform the core duties of your job, because standing is essential to your job, you may no longer qualify to do your job - which would not be your employer's fault. While unpaid medical leave does not automatically make you eligible to collect unemployment benefits, note the following law: o Voluntary Leave: Voluntary Leaving Disqualification An individual will be ineligible to receive benefits if he has left work voluntarily without good cause attributable to his employer. The disqualification continues until the individual has become reemployed and has had earnings equal to or in excess of his current weekly benefit amount in each of four calendar weeks which are either for services in employment, or have been or will be reported pursuant to the provisions of FICA. (Section 601) There are seven exceptions that exempt the worker from disqualification even though he has left work voluntarily without good cause attributable to the employer: • 1. When the worker is deemed physically unable to perform his work by a licensed and practicing physician, or where the worker leaves work upon the advice of a licensed and practicing physician that assistance is necessary for the purpose of caring for his spouse, child, or parent who is in poor physical health, and such assistance will not allow him to perform the usual and customary duties of his employment. In either instance, the worker must notify his employer of the reason for leaving before the exception will apply. (Section 601B1
- Q. With Biden's new executive order, may I keep my unemployment benefits if I quit my job due to fear & medical reason?
- A: Here are some IDES FAQ you may find helpful: 3/16/2020 COVID-19 and Unemployment Benefits - IDES https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/Pages/COVID-19-and-Unemployment-Benefits.aspx 2/3 What if I‘m temporarily laid off because the place where I work is temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 virus? An individual temporarily laid off in this situation could qualify for benefits as long as he or she was able and available for and actively seeking work. Under emergency rules IDES recently adopted, the individual would not have to register with the employment service. He or she would be considered to be actively seeking work as long as the individual was prepared to return to his or her job as soon the employer reopened. What if I quit my job because I am generally concerned over the COVID-19 virus? An individual who leaves work voluntarily without a good reason attributable to the employer is generally disqualified from receiving UI. The eligibility of an individual in this situation will depend on whether the facts of his or her case demonstrate the individual had a good reason for quitting and that the reason was attributable to the employer. An individual generally has a duty to make a reasonable effort to work with his or her employer to resolve whatever issues have caused the individual to consider quitting.
- Q. What all can an employer legally disclose to a 3rd party in my personnel file?
- A: In Illinois, the governing law for personnel records is: 820 ILCS 40. This Act may be cited as the Personnel Record Review Act. (Source: P.A. 86-1324.) See the law and how you can file a complaint about violations here: https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Laws-Rules/legal/Pages/personnel-records-review-act.aspx
