To: The Mississippi State House, The Mississippi State Senate, and Governor Phil Bryant
Employment Protection in Mississippi
Introduce a bill for state level employment protection for race, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability in the 2015 legislative session
Why is this important?
Mississippians face the danger of employment discrimination on a daily basis. There is no State-level protection for discrimination on the basis of:
• Race
• Sex
• National Origin
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender or Gender Identity
• Disability
• Age
Mississippians have to rely on federal laws to protect them from discrimination in the workplace. It is time for Mississippi to join the 48 other states where employees are protected under state law.
Claims with only federal protections are administered by Federal agencies and may require a costly visit to federal court, and only a handful of Mississippi cities offer any protection on the basis of sexual orientation.
Providing state level protections for Mississippi employees is good for the state, good for employers and good for employees. The Mississippi Legislature has a fiscal interest in keeping Mississippians
employed, as taxpayer money spent on unemployment and welfare social welfare can be costly.
Furthermore, employment discrimination has been linked to greater prevalence of costly physical and mental health issues, which could increase the costs of health insurance for employers. Employment
discrimination and hostile work environments also reduce worker productivity
Mississippians deserve the freedom to provide for themselves and their families without intrusion into their personal lives or discrimination at work.
The best way to ensure we keep Mississippians working in safe, discrimination free workplaces is through state level protections administered by the State of Mississippi.