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. Therefore, 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?

Discrimination happens according to the Equal Pay Act if both men and women are working in the same job and performing the same tasks, yet receive different wages. Discrimination claims in Meridian can be shown where the employer only hires one gender, promotes employees on the basis of gender, or acts in retaliation against a worker who has complained of employer misconduct.

When is Sexual Harassment Prohibited?

Sexual harassment includes all unwelcome or unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that is directed at the victim, whether it is physical or verbal. An employer in Meridian might be liable for such conduct, even when it is simply other co-workers that have engaged in harassment.

Mississippi employers who allow conduct to produce an overly sexual work atmosphere may also be held liable for sexual harassment. The specific details for proving intent to discrimination can be complicated, and so gender discrimination might be difficult to prove without an attorney. The procedures for filing can also be complex.