Laws, Policies & Procedures

The Equal Pay Act of 1963: This law makes it illegal to pay different wages to men and women if they perform substantially equal work in the same workplace. It also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: This law makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or sex. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. This law also requires that employers reasonably accommodate applicants' and employees' sincerely held religious practices, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer's business.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act: This law amended Title VII to make it illegal to discriminate against a woman because of pregnancy, childbirth or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: This law requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship.

Sections 102 and 103 of the Civil Rights Act of 1991: Among other things, this law amends Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act to permit jury trials and compensatory and punitive damage awards in international discrimination cases.

Executive Order No. 11246: This order prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It also requires covered contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that equal opportunity is provided in all aspects of their employment.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA): This law protects people who are 40 or older from discrimination because of age. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: While the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted or funded by Federal agencies, and in Federal employment and employment practices of Federal contractors, the Americans with Disabilities Act extends these protections prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. The standards for determining employment discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act are the same as those used in Title I of the Americans with Disability Act.

Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: These sections make it illegal to discriminate against a qualified person with a disability in federal government. They also make it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. Furthermore, the act also requires that employers reasonably accommodate the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer's business.

Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: This section prohibits discrimination and requires employers with federal contracts or subcontracts that exceed $10,000 to take affirmative action to hire, retain and promote qualified individuals with disabilities. All covered contractors and subcontractors must also include a specific equal opportunity clause in each of their nonexempt contracts and subcontracts.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: This section prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and applies to, among other entities, public elementary and secondary schools. Children with disabilities may be eligible for special education and related services. Section 504's definition of disability is broader than the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition.

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA): Title I requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment-related opportunities available to others. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. Furthermore, the law also requires that employers reasonably accommodate the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer's business.

Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act of 2008 (ADAAA): This law emphasizes that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of a broad coverage of individuals to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of the ADA.

Title IX, Education Amendment of 1972: This law makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on sex. Discrimination based on sex includes the exclusion of participation and access, denial of benefits, or subjection to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Title IX, Final Rule (2020): This final rule amends Title IX regulations regarding the investigation, review and adjudication of sexual harassment.

The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA): This law requires federal government contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment specified categories of veterans protected by the Act and prohibits discrimination against such veterans. In addition, the law requires that contractors and subcontractors to list their employment openings with the appropriate employment service delivery system and that covered veterans receive priority in referral to such openings.

Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA): The JVA was approved in 2002 to revise and improve employment, training, and placement services provided for veterans.

The Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA): This law makes it illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants because of genetic information. Genetic information includes information about an individual's genetic tests and the genetic tests of an individual's family members, as well as information about any disease, disorder or condition of an individual's family members (i.e., an individual's family medical history). The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009: This act grants employees the right to file an employment discrimination claim regarding compensation within the 180 day statute of limitation period of the most recent paycheck that included the discriminatory compensation, rather than within 180 days of the initial pay disparity.

New York State Education Law 129-B “Enough is Enough”: This law, signed in July 2015, requires all NYS colleges and universities to adopt comprehensive policies, procedures and guidelines to address the prevention of and response to campus sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, and stalking.  

Executive Law, Article 15 of the Human Rights Law: This law requires employers to take responsibility to act to assure that every individual within is afforded an equal opportunity to enjoy a full and productive life and that the failure to provide such equal opportunity — whether because of discrimination, prejudice, intolerance or inadequate education, training, housing or health care — not only threatens the rights and proper privileges of its inhabitants but menaces the institutions and foundation of a free democratic state.

This law, as amended, also requires all employers — public and private, regardless of number of employee — to establish a workplace policy defining and prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace and to train employees annually on the rights and obligations under policy and law. Harassment, including retaliatory harassment, need no longer by "severe or pervasive" to alter conditions of employment, but rather an activity is unlawful discrimination when it subjects an individual to inferior terms, conditions or privileges of employment because of the individual's membership in one or more protected classes. The law grants employers an affirmative defense where the harassment "does not rise above the level of what a reasonable victim of discrimination with the same protected characteristic would consider petty slights or trivial inconveniences."

Sexual Orientation Non-discrimination Act of 2003 (SONDA): This act amends the Executive Law to include sexual orientation as a protected class in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodation, education and credit.

Gender Expression Non-discrimination Act of 2019 (GENDA): This law adds gender identity and gender expression to the state's human rights and state crimes laws as protected classes in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Executive Order No. 19 (Governor Mario M. Cuomo): This order requires agencies to issue a strong management policy statement defining and prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace. The policy statement should inform employees of their rights of redress, and the availability of complaint resolution channels and assistance with incidents or sexual harassment.

Executive Order No. 33 (Governor David A. Paterson): This order prohibits discrimination in state employment on the basis of gender identity.

Executive Order No. 8 (Governor Eliot Spitzer): This order removes barriers to minority and women business enterprises' participation in state contracting.

Executive Order No. 66 (Governor Mario M. Cuomo): This order established a Governor's Advisory Committee for Black Affairs.

Executive Order No. 77 (Governor Mario M. Cuomo): This order established membership of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission.

Executive Order No. 82 (Governor Mario M. Cuomo): This order established the Governor's Office for Hispanic Affairs.

Executive Order No. 96 (Governor Mario M. Cuomo): This order promotes a New York State policy against age discrimination in the workplace.

Executive Order No. 147 (Governor Mario M. Cuomo): This order established The Office of Indian Relations.

Pursuant to New York State Education Law Article 129 - B, as well as 2014 and 2018 SUNY Board of Trustees policies, the State University of New York conducts a survey of the campus climate around sexual and interpersonal violence every other year. This uniform campus climate survey is administered at the University at Albany and sent to students and employees.

Results of past surveys at the University at Albany can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

• 2023 survey results
• 2019 survey results for UAlbany students
• 2017 survey results from UAlbany students
• 2017 survey results from UAlbany female students
• 2017 survey results from UAlbany faculty and staff

Please visit the University Police Department's website to view the Annual Security Report, as mandated by the Clery Act.

Clery Annual Security Report Statement

The Violence Against Women Act amendments to the Clery Act require that certain college officials charged with responding to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking be trained annually in a number of areas.

The University at Albany is a member of the SUNY Student Conduct Institute. As part of that membership, covered officials who investigate or conduct proceedings to address allegations of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking receive at least eight hours of training annually through attendance at the SUNY Student Conduct Institute’s Basic Compliance Training and/or live Advanced Trainings and/or digital Basic or Advanced Trainings.

These in-person and digital courses address topics including how to determine the relevancy of evidence and use it during the proceeding, proper techniques for questioning witnesses, basic procedural rules for conducting a proceeding, and avoiding actual and perceived conflicts of interest. These trainings also address how to conduct an investigation and hearing process that protects the safety of victims, properly employs trauma-informed practice, and promotes accountability, while protecting the due process rights of the respondent. Finally, these trainings provide comprehensive reviews of federal and state laws and regulations on point as well as relevant court and administrative opinions.

Please visit our Staff Directory to review the trainings each staff member has completed.