Facing workplace discrimination can disrupt a career or leave a lifelong negative impact that includes loss of income and limited job options. If your employer discriminates against you in the workplace, you have the right to contact the EEOC office in Jackson, Mississippi to remedy the situation.
Although Jackson is the area EEOC office for most Mississippi residents, some residents living near Memphis might have to contact the EEOC District Office in that city.
Where you contact an EEOC office depends on the location of your employer. However, during the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic, all interviews conducted by the EEOC should transpire over the phone.
What Does the EEOC Do?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was formed in 1965 as part of the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. The federal agency regulates and enforces every discrimination law that is applied at the national level.
Factors such as disability, gender, and religion cannot play a part in the employment hiring or firing process. Employers also cannot discriminate when deciding which employees receive career-boosting training that eventually leads to a promotion.
Many workers that contact the EEOC want to know the answer to “How many days do you have to contact the EEOC office in Jackson or Memphis.” Workers have 180 calendar days to schedule an interview with a representative of the EEOC.
The EEOC establishes the deadline for contacting the federal agency by starting the clock on the day a worker first informed an employer about an act of discrimination in the workplace.
If a state’s discrimination laws reflect what is written into federal anti-discrimination statutes, then workers have 300 calendar days to contact the EEOC concerning a discrimination complaint.
Where to File an EEOC Claim in Mississippi
- Jackson Area Office
- Dr. A. H. McCoy Federal Building
- 100 West Capitol Street, Suite 338
- Jackson, MS 39269
- Office Hours: M-F 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
- Phone: (769) 487-6910
- Director: Eszean McDuffie
- Regional Attorney: Marsha Rucker
- Memphis District Office
- 1407 Union Avenue, 9th floor
- Memphis, TN 38104
- Office Hours: M-F 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
- Phone: (901) 544-0115
- Director: Delner Franklin-Thomas
- Regional Attorney: Faye Williams
Mississippi Employment Laws
As opposed to most other states, Mississippi has not enacted an anti-discrimination law that applies to workplaces.
The state does have on the books a couple of statutes that protect public employees and breastfeeding mothers against discrimination at work. In addition, Mississippi has not created an administrative agency to process any workplace discrimination claims.
Since Mississippi does not provide legal protections against discrimination in the workplace, the state does not have a law that prohibits on the job sexual harassment.
However, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers that have at least 15 employees to prohibit sexual harassment. Employees that file sexual harassment claims must prove the harassment involved unwanted physical contact.
Workers that believe their employers have committed wage theft by withholding pay or under compensating according to minimum wage law should speak with a Mississippi-licensed employment attorney.
Employers that violate any of the provisions written into the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) might have to pay a fine, as well as face criminal prosecution.
Getting Legal Help from a Mississippi Employment Attorney
An experienced Mississippi employment lawyer can make sure you act quickly on a discrimination claim by contacting the Jackson or Memphis EEOC office. Your attorney is also there to answer any questions you have about federal anti-discrimination laws.
