Wisconsin Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Wisconsin employment attorneys who handle WFEA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, and Racine.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a Wisconsin attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Wisconsin employment case review

A Wisconsin attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Wisconsin employment case

When you submit a Wisconsin employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Wisconsin law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Wisconsin who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an employment claim in Wisconsin

Day 0
Something happens at work.
A firing, demotion, missed pay, harassment, retaliation. Write down dates, names and what was said, and save emails and pay stubs before access disappears.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Wisconsin employment attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the record.
Personnel file, pay records, texts, witness accounts, the handbook. Employers keep meticulous files; you need one too.
Months 1–3
Demand, or an agency charge.
Many Wisconsin employment claims start with a demand letter or a charge with the state agency or the EEOC. Your attorney picks the route that protects your deadlines.
Within 300 days
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Wisconsin gives 300 days for this step. Missing it can end the claim before it starts.
Resolution
Settlement or judgment.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: WFEA
Wisconsin Fair Employment Act (WFEA), Wis. Stat. § 111.31 et seq. Protected: race, color, religion, sex (incl. pregnancy), age 40+, national origin, ancestry, disability, arrest/conviction record (with limits), marital status, sexual orientation, military service, lawful off-duty product use, declining religious/political meetings, genetic info.
Deadline to File Charge: 300 days
300 days to file with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD) under Wis. Stat. § 111.39. Work-share with EEOC.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with public-policy exception (Brockmeyer v. Dun & Bradstreet, 1983). Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation (Wis. Stat. § 102.35), whistleblowing, jury duty, military service.
Non-Compete Enforceability: Wis. Stat. § 103.465
Wis. Stat. § 103.465 — strict no-blue-pencil rule. Agreements must be reasonable in all respects (time, geography, scope, protectable interest) or they are unenforceable in their entirety. One of the strictest non-compete states.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $7.25
Wisconsin minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour (Wis. Stat. § 104). Overtime under Wis. Stat. § 103.025 and federal FLSA.
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Wisconsin Fair Employment Act (WFEA, Wis. Stat. § 111.31 et seq.) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age (40+), national origin, ancestry, disability, arrest record, conviction record (with limits), marital status, sexual orientation, military service, use or nonuse of lawful products off the job, declining to attend employer-sponsored meetings on religious or political matters, and genetic information at all employers (1+ employee). Wisconsin was the first state to protect sexual orientation in employment (1982). Charges are filed with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD) within 300 days. WI is at-will with a public-policy exception (Brockmeyer v. Dun & Bradstreet). Non-competes restricted under Wis. Stat. § 103.465 — strict no-blue-pencil rule, must be supported by valuable consideration. Wisconsin minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Wisconsin

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Wisconsin

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

WFEA and Title VII.

Sound like yours? A Wisconsin attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Wisconsin employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Wisconsin · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Wisconsin employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Wisconsin employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. WFEA, Wisconsin Wage Payment Act, and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Wisconsin employment compensation can include

A Wisconsin employment recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Back Pay

Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under WFEA and federal law. Uncapped.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Wisconsin employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Wisconsin attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

File with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD) of the Department of Workforce Development within 300 days. ERD has a work-share with the EEOC. After investigation, you can elect to proceed to administrative hearing or court.

WFEA covers race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age (40+), national origin, ancestry, disability, arrest record, conviction record (with limits), marital status, sexual orientation, military service, use or nonuse of lawful products off the job, declining to attend employer-sponsored meetings on religious or political matters, and genetic information. Wisconsin was the first state to protect sexual orientation in employment (1982).

Subject to strict scrutiny. Wis. Stat. § 103.465 imposes a no-blue-pencil rule — if any part of the non-compete is unreasonable, the entire agreement is void. This makes Wisconsin one of the strictest non-compete states. The agreement must be reasonable in time, geography, scope, and protectable interest, and supported by valuable consideration.

WI tracks federal at $7.25/hour.

Not at the state level. Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act (Wis. Stat. § 103.10) provides limited unpaid leave (6 weeks for parental/family medical, plus medical leave) for employers with 50+ employees. No paid leave.

No. Wis. Stat. § 102.35 prohibits retaliation for workers' comp claims.

Not without legal review.

Employment attorneys by city in Wisconsin

Same Wisconsin rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Wisconsin

All Wisconsin practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysWisconsin holds dog owners strictly responsible for a bite — the first $1,000 is automatic, and the rest depends on showing the owner was careless.

Business Dispute attorneysWisconsin enforces reasonable non-competes — but if one is written too broadly, courts throw out the whole thing instead of trimming it back.

Car Accident attorneysWisconsin is a fault state where you can’t recover if you’re more than half at fault — and minimum liability coverage of $25K/$50K leaves many crashes underinsured.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe Wisconsin Consumer Act and the state’s false-advertising law give consumers strong remedies, including set statutory damages and attorney fees.

Criminal Defense attorneysWisconsin’s presumptive sentencing and truth-in-sentencing rules call for a lawyer who knows the local DA’s office.

Defective Product attorneysWisconsin holds manufacturers strictly liable for defective products — and the state supreme court has repeatedly refined how the consumer-expectations test works.

Family Law attorneysWisconsin is a community-property state (one of only nine) — and the law presumes an equal split of marital property at divorce.

Immigration attorneysWisconsin cases are heard at the immigration court in Chicago — and growing immigrant communities in Milwaukee, Madison, and the Fox Valley drive case volume.

Lemon Law attorneysThe Wisconsin Lemon Law is one of the more pro-consumer in the country — manufacturers face double damages for refusing to refund or replace.

Medical Malpractice attorneysWisconsin medical malpractice claims run through the state’s Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund — and the state supreme court struck down the cap on pain-and-suffering damages in 2018.

Personal Injury attorneysA three-year filing window and a unique Safe Place law that raises the duty owed by property owners make Wisconsin distinctive among Midwest injury states.

Slip and Fall attorneysWisconsin’s Safe Place law puts a heightened duty of care on public buildings and workplaces — broader than ordinary premises liability.

Social Security Disability attorneysWisconsin Social Security hearing offices in Milwaukee and Madison process moderate volumes — and federal appeals court precedent for the region shapes review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysWisconsin workers’ comp runs through the state Worker’s Compensation Division — and Wisconsin has one of the longest comp histories in the country (first state, 1911).

Wisconsin Employment Attorneys

How we match your Wisconsin employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Wisconsin

Something happens at work.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the record.

Demand, or an agency charge.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or judgment.

When to call an employment attorney in Wisconsin

Employment cases we take in Wisconsin

Race and national-origin discrimination

Sex, pregnancy, and LGBTQ+ discrimination

Age discrimination (40+)

Disability discrimination and accommodation

Religious discrimination and accommodation

Retaliation and whistleblower

Wage and hour (Wisconsin + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA and Wisconsin FMLA

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Wisconsin employment attorneys cost?

What your Wisconsin employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Wisconsin employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Wisconsin

Other case types in Wisconsin

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