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Legal Enforcement Guidance

The Commission has released Legal Enforcement Guidance on certain protections under the Human Rights Law, accessible via the links below. Please note that portions of the guidance will be subject to future rulemaking pursuant to the City Administrative Procedure Act, N.Y. City Charter § 1041 et seq.

Race Discrimination on the Basis of Hair Legal Enforcement Guidance

Guidance on appearance and grooming policies that ban natural hair or hairstyle - policies that disproportionately impact Black New Yorkers and are unlawful discriminatory treatment under the NYC Human Rights Law.

Disability Legal Enforcement Guidance

Guidance on discrimination against people with disabilities, including clarification on discriminatory policies and practices, best practices on how to assess and provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities, and examples of reasonable accommodations.

Gender Identity/Gender Expression Legal Enforcement Guidance

Guidance on gender identity and gender expression protections provides explicit examples to employers, landlords, business owners, and the general public on what the City considers to be discrimination under the law.

Fair Chance Act Legal Enforcement Guidance

The Fair Chance Act makes it illegal for most employers in New York City to ask about the criminal record of job applicants before making a job offer. This means ads, applications, and interview questions cannot include inquiries into an applicant's criminal record.

SCDEA Legal Enforcement Guidance

Under the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act (SCDEA), most employers in New York City are prohibited from checking applicants' credit history to make employment decisions.

Pregnancy Discrimination Legal Enforcement Guidance

Guidance on pregnancy protections provides explicit examples on what the City considers to be discrimination under the law.