Uniform Guidelines On Employee Selection Procedures

The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (Guidelines) were published in August 1978 as the result of a joint effort involving the governmental organizations responsible for enforcing equal employment opportunity laws: the Equal [Page 846]Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Labor (including the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs [OFCCP]), Civil Service Commission, and Department of Justice. The Guidelines define discrimination in the context of employment selection procedures, which include tests, interviews, simulations, minimum requirements, or other tools used to make employment decisions. The Guidelines outline the validity and adverse impact evidence that the enforcement agencies would consider when evaluating a discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Executive Order 11246. The Guidelines apply to all public and private employers covered by these two laws.

This review provides an overview of the Guidelines, including their purpose, major topics covered and not covered, and conclusions and implications. This review should not be construed as legal advice or a recommended interpretation of the Guidelines. Although this review takes into account some of the developments occurring since the original 1978 publication date, a comprehensive summary of such developments is not possible. In addition, certain topics that are no longer relevant or that the Guidelines address only tangentially have been excluded from this review. A Further Reading section is provided listing sources for more detail about topics within the Guidelines and for information about relevant events occurring since the Guidelines' publication.