Mississippi Employment Laws

Mississippi is one of the few states with no comprehensive state employment anti-discrimination law covering private employers. Federal protections apply: Title VII (employers 15+), ADA, ADEA (40+). Mississippi does not have a state civil rights commission for employment.

Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour applies. Mississippi has historically preempted local minimum wage ordinances.

Mississippi is a right-to-work state. No person may be denied employment based on membership or non-membership in a labor organization. Employers cannot require union membership or dues payment as a condition of employment.

Common-law public policy exception to at-will employment. An employee cannot be terminated for refusing to participate in an illegal act requested by the employer, or for reporting the employer's illegal activities to authorities. The exception applies only to acts warranting criminal penalties.

Mississippi has no state-mandated paid sick leave, paid family leave, or paid medical leave. FMLA (federal, employers 50+) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.