Laws and Policies Relevant to Affirmative Action

The Executive Order requires federal contractors to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin." 

The Executive Order also prohibits employers from taking action against employees or applicants for discussing or asking about their own compensation or the compensation of others.  This rule does not apply in circumstances where an employee has access to other employees' or applicants' compensation as part of their official job duties and improperly discloses that information.

Title VII is the federal law that prohibits discrimination in employment. Protected characteristic are race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment, including the application process, hiring, compensation, training, advancement, and firing. Included in the prohibition on disability discrimination is a requirement that employers provide reasonable accommodations to qualified disabled employees and applicants for employment. 

CU Denver and CU Anschutz employees, or applicants for employment at either campus, may request ADA accommodations by contacting the ADA coordinator in Human Resources via email at hr.adacoordinator@ucdenver.edu.

The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act (VEVRAA) prohibits federal contractor from discriminating in employment against protected veterans. It also requires federal contractors to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain protected veterans.

Section 503 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits disability discrimination by federal agencies, programs receiving federal financial assistance, and federal contractors.  Section 503 contains the Rehabilitation Act Provisions governing federal contractors, and it prohibits them from discriminating against disabled employees or applicants for employment.  It also requires that federal contractors take affirmative action to retain, hire, and promote employees with disabilities.