What Type of Conduct is Prohibited in Mississippi?
Mississippi employers must abide by the Civil Rights Act of 1963 and the Equal Pay Act, both of which prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender. Accordingly, employers may not take sex into account when they determine pay, hire new workers, or promote within the company. They are also required to make sure that the working environment is neither hostile to a specific gender nor overtly sexual.
What Must be Proven in a Discrimination Claim?
The Equal Pay Act allows discrimination to be proven if it can be shown that both men and women work for the same employer doing the same tasks, and yet are paid differently. Also, a claim may prevail if an employer in Southaven hires only one gender, promotes workers because of their gender, or retaliates against those seeking relief for this misconduct.
When is Sexual Harassment Prohibited?
Sexual harassment encompasses any unwelcome or unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that is directed at the victim, whether it is physical or verbal. A Southaven employer could be held liable for the unwelcome conduct, even if it was an employee's co-worker who engaged in the sexual harassment.
Mississippi employers can also be held liable for sexual harassment if it allows conduct that leads to an overly sexual work environment. Without a lawyer, it can be difficult to prove gender discrimination because the details in proving intent are often complicated. Also, there can be specific procedures that must be closely followed in pursuing a claim.
