Possible retaliation or religious discrimination after remote-work request?
employment discrimination attorney Illinois Aug 1, 2026
Location: Illinois I work for a large employer in Illinois and have been there for several years. Until recently, I had no significant disciplinary history or comparable performance concerns. I had also received positive feedback and had been discussing advancement based on documented work results. A relatively new manager took over my team, but my former manager remains in the reporting chain and appears to be closely involved in the recent decisions affecting me. I later requested temporary remote work because of a family-related relocation issue. The request was denied based on what I was told was an informal policy, even though I believe other employees at a similar level continue to work remotely. After the denial, I asked about transferring to another team and applied for an internal position. Not long afterward, I was unexpectedly told that I was performing below expectations and that management was considering a formal performance plan. This was a major change from the prior feedback that I was progressing toward advancement. My current manager also appeared unaware of the earlier advancement discussions. Management then placed me on a short coaching plan covering delivery, ownership, growth, and communication. I asked for specific examples, baseline data, objective measurements, and an explanation of how success would be evaluated. I raised the sudden change with my HR representative and asked for an objective review of the process, including whether my prior record was considered and whether the remote-work policy was applied consistently. They largely redirected me back to management and did not commit to an independent review. I am especially concerned about my former manager’s role. Although they are no longer my direct manager, they remain above my current manager and appear to be significantly involved in the remote-work decision, the shift in my performance assessment, and the coaching process. Based on the timing and their continued involvement, I am concerned they may be driving these decisions behind the scenes, although I do not have direct proof of that. I am also concerned about a possible broader religious-discrimination pattern. The company is large, but there are relatively few employees I know of who share my religion. Over the past year or so, several of those employees appear to have been placed under sudden negative scrutiny or pushed out in similar ways. I do not know all the details of their situations, so I am not claiming discrimination has definitely occurred. However, the combination of the small group size, the similar treatment, my former manager’s apparent involvement, and the sudden change in my own performance assessment is concerning. Could these facts potentially support a retaliation or religious-discrimination claim under Illinois or federal law? What evidence would be most important to preserve? Should I consult an employment lawyer before the coaching process ends or before any formal discipline occurs? Is there an ethics HR department that I could take this to in my company for independent review? I am still employed and have not resigned.
