Adverse impact is a substantially different rate of selection in hiring, promotion or other employment decision criterion that works to the disadvantage of members of a race, sex or ethnic group, according to the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP, or Uniform Guidelines).

The Uniform Guidelines were adopted in 1978 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), along with the Departments of Justice and Labor, to ensure compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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