MS SB2174

Prohibits employers from paying employees less based on sex for equal work requiring equal skill, effort, and responsibility, with exceptions for seniority systems, merit systems, production-based systems, and bona fide non-sex-based factors.

Prohibits labor organizations from causing employers to discriminate on the basis of sex in wages and declares unpaid wages owed from violations to be treated as unpaid minimum wages or overtime.

Provides employers a rebuttable presumption of compliance if they complete a self-evaluation within two years of a charge, meet specified standards including job evaluation analysis, and demonstrate reasonable progress toward eliminating wage differentials.

Prohibits employers from requiring employees to refrain from discussing or disclosing wages, requiring wage secrecy waivers, or retaliating against employees who discuss wages or oppose practices made unlawful by this act.

Allows employees to file civil actions for wage discrimination violations within two years, with potential recovery including unpaid wages, liquidated damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages (if employer acted with malice or reckless indifference), and attorney's fees.