Photo of Elizabeth N. Hall

Elizabeth N. Hall is a Shareholder in the firm’s Labor and Employment practice area and serves as the Chicago office chair of the firm's women's affinity group, "Women at Vedder Empowering Success" (WAVES).

Ms. Hall represents a wide range of employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, as well as in arbitral forums, defending them against various claims, including single plaintiff and class allegations of employment discrimination, failure to accommodate disabilities, sexual harassment, wrongful and retaliatory discharge, breach of contract and violations of the FMLA and wage and hour laws. Ms. Hall has successfully argued procedural and employment discrimination issues in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and has particular expertise in managing electronic discovery teams in complex litigation.

A significant portion of Ms. Hall’s daily practice involves providing practical advice to employers regarding risk management; effective employee discipline and discharge; conducting workplace investigations; accommodating disabilities and pregnancy; workplace violence; managing leaves of absence and complying with FMLA and state leave requirements; workforce reductions; drafting and reviewing employment, recruitment and staffing agreements; policy and handbook development; wage and hour compliance; and state and federal employment laws. She frequently trains clients and employer groups on many of these topics.  Ms. Hall also has extensive experience drafting and negotiating severance, settlement and conciliation agreements on behalf of employer clients.

In 2017 and 2018, Ms. Hall was recommended by The Legal 500 United States for the Labor and Employment Disputes (including collective actions): Defense category. In 2018, she was named to the Crain’s Custom Media “Chicago Notable Women Lawyers” list. She also was selected as an Emerging Lawyer, an affiliate of Leading Lawyers, from 2015 to 2019. From 2010 to 2015, Ms. Hall was selected for inclusion as an Illinois Rising Star, and Super Lawyers named her one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Illinois” in the “Rising Star” category in 2013 and 2014.

The City of Chicago recently updated its existing “Ban the Box” Ordinance to further limit an employer’s ability to consider conviction records of both new and current employees.  With the new amendments, employers covered by the Ordinance who wish to review conviction records must engage in an individualized assessment, provide pre-adverse and final adverse action notices, and include additional language to the notices regarding the right to file a claim.Continue Reading Chicago Updates Its “Ban the Box” Rule to Limit an Employer’s Consideration of Conviction Records

May 11, 2023 marked the end of the two federal COVID-19 Emergency Orders.  To address the announced end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Orders, on May 15, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued key updates to its COVID-19 technical assistance, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.”Continue Reading New EEOC COVID-19 Updates

As a reminder to employers in Chicago, anti-sexual harassment training is required by Chicago’s Human Rights Ordinance and must be completed by July 1, 2023.  This requirement applies to all Chicago employers, regardless of size or industry.Continue Reading Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Deadline Approaches for Chicago Employers

On January 24, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released new guidance to help employers comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (“ADA”) requirements for job applicants and employees with hearing impairments.  The guidance titled “Hearing Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act,” replaces a May 7, 2014 resource titled “Deafness and Hearing Impairments in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act,” and provides an overview of the ADA’s requirements for hearing impaired individuals, including the definition of a disability, pre- and post-job offer disability-related questions, and providing reasonable accommodations in the workplace.Continue Reading The EEOC Releases Updated Guidance on Hearing Disabilities and the ADA

On October 19, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released an updated “Know Your Rights” poster, replacing the previous “EEO is the Law” poster.  Federal law requires all covered employers to prominently display updated posters at their workplaces. Employers should take this time and check to see if the EEOC posters placed or distributed in their workplaces are the most recent versions.Continue Reading EEOC Releases Updated “Know Your Rights” Poster

On August 16, 2022, a split Fourth Circuit panel became the first federal appellate court to hold that gender dysphoria qualifies as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  In Williams v. Kincaid, the panel’s majority held that gender dysphoria, a disabling medical condition that affects many transgender people, is distinct from the “gender identify disorders” Congress excluded from the law’s protections upon passage in 1990, meaning the ADA’s protections in employment settings, public accommodations and transportation now extend to people with gender dysphoria under the circuit’s jurisdiction.[1] Continue Reading Fourth Circuit Holds ADA Protections Cover Gender Dysphoria

On August 9, 2022, the Illinois Department of Labor (“IDOL”) held a hearing to field public comments on its draft regulations to implement the recent amendments to the Illinois Equal Pay Act (the “Act”).  Our previous posts on the Act and the new requirements for Illinois employers are available here and here.  The hour-long hearing allowed anyone interested in the draft regulations to make comments or submit written testimony.Continue Reading Public Hearing on Proposed Rule Changes to the Illinois Equal Pay Act

Starting January 1, 2023, Illinois employers are required to provide employees with unpaid bereavement leave following the loss of a family member or planned family addition. The Family Bereavement Leave Act (FBLA) amends Illinois’ Child Bereavement Leave Act of 2016 (CBLA) and adds Illinois to a short list of states (which includes only Oregon and Maryland) that require employers to provide for bereavement leave.Continue Reading State Bereavement Laws and their Impact on Employers