Jackson, MS (September 23, 2014)—Local non-profit organization Working for Mississippi announces a petition to Mississippi legislators to introduce a bill for state-level employment protection for race, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, and disability in the 2015 legislative session.
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
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
About Working for Mississippi: Working for Mississippi (“WFM”: http://www.workingformississippi.com) is a grassroots, Mississippi registered non-profit organization. WFM does not accept donations, but is asking Mississippians to support Mississippi’s workforce by signing their online petition at bit.ly/EmployProtectMS 
