Mississippi is known as the “Magnolia State,” named after the magnolia trees that are abundant in the region.
Payroll and Benefits Guide - United States - Mississippi
Fun Facts
Mississippi is the birthplace of the Teddy bear. The stuffed animal was named after President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.
The state has a rich Native American history, with tribes such as the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez having inhabited the area for centuries.
The state’s official bird is the northern mockingbird.
The world’s largest shrimp is on display in Biloxi, Mississippi, measuring over 20 feet long.
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is the oldest public university in the state.
Contributions
Employee Payroll Tax
| Contribution Type | Rate |
| FICA Social Security | 6.20% |
| FICA Medicare | 1.45% |
| Additional tax | 0.90% |
Employer Payroll Tax
| Contribution Type | Rate |
| Unemployment Insurance | 0.20% – 5.60% |
| Unemployment- New Employer | 11.00% – 1.20% |
| FICA Social Security | 6.20% |
| FICA Medicare | 1.45% |
| FUTA | 0.60% -6.00% |
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
The payroll cycles are semi- monthly or monthly.
13th Salary
There are no provisions in the law regarding 13th salaries.
Work Hours and Week
The workweek is a maximum of 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day.
Overtime
Mississippi adheres to the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA), and overtime is paid when employees work more than 40 hours in a single working week. The employer must pay 150% of the regular salary rate for the extra hours worked as overtime.
Leave
Paid Time Off
In Mississippi, there are no specific state laws that regulate the quantity and compensation of vacation time. Instead, it is generally up to employers to determine whether they will provide paid or unpaid vacation leave to their employees.
Public Holidays
There are 9 official holidays
Sick Days
Eligible employees have the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for specific family and medical reasons.
Maternity Leave
12 working weeks of leave in any one year for a child’s birth and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth.
Maternity leave falls under the FMLA (see Sick Leave).
Paternity Leave
Paternity leave falls under the FMLA (see Sick Leave).
Parental Leave
Paternity leave falls under the FMLA (see Sick Leave).
Termination
Termination Process
In the United States, unless there are mass dismissals or specific provisions in an employment contract or collective bargaining agreement, there is no mandated formal notice period for terminating an individual employment relationship.
Notice Period
Most employees are employed “at-will,” and either party can terminate the employment relationship without notice.
Severance Pay
Employers are not legally obligated to provide severance payments to terminated employees. The decision to offer severance pay is at the discretion of the employer and may depend on factors such as the employee’s length of service or specific contractual agreements
Probation Period
Probation Period
There are no provisions in the law regarding probation or trial periods. It is common practice for employers to set a performance evaluation after an initially stated period of employment of 90 days.
Immigration
Foreign nationals without permanent resident status or a work visa are not permitted to work in the United States. An employer seeking to hire a foreign national may file a petition with the United States Department of Homeland Security/ United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) for an employment visa on behalf of the prospective employee.
If the petition is approved, the prospective employee must obtain a “visa stamp” from a United States embassy or consulate (Canadian citizens are exempt from this requirement).
To get a temporary U.S. work visa, an employer must file a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
For Work Permits
H-1B – for applicants with a college degree hired to do specialized work.
H-1B1 – for applicants with a college degree from Chile and Singapore.
H-2A – for temporary or seasonal agriculture work.
H-2B – for temporary non-agricultural work.
L – for intercompany transfers (people transferred from a foreign company to a US branch of the company.)
0 – for people with extraordinary ability in science, arts, education, business, or athletics.
VAT
Mississippi has a minimum combined sales tax rate of 7.07% (state tax at 7.00% and local tax at 0.07% USD)