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What Does Adverse Action Mean?
An action that denies an individual or business credit, employment, insurance or other benefits. An adverse action is generally taken by a business or government based on a criminal past or information found in credit reports.

Investopedia explains Adverse Action
Adverse action is defined in various laws passed by Congress, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In the event of an adverse action, applicable law describes the various remedies that may be taken. For example, if a consumer is turned down for a loan because of negative information contained in a credit report, he or she can review the report at no cost.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/adverse-action.asp


Вот совсем другое значение:
Council For Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) 2001, Glossary of Key Terms in Quality Assurance and Accreditation:

Denial of eligibility or recognition of a higher education institution by an accrediting or quality assurance organization, or (U.S.) of an accrediting organization, as determined by the national, regional, or specialized accreditation body.
http://www.chea.org/international/inter_glossary01.html

Вот еще (с точки зрения работника):
What constitutes an "adverse action?" These claims often involve disciplinary action such as firing, changing shift or transferring, but have included simple things like a supervisor treating an employee "coldly" following a complaint. The U.S. Supreme Court recently made it easier for employees to bring these claims by giving a broad interpretation to what could be considered an "adverse action." The adverse action can be anything, employment related or not, that a reasonable employee would consider materially adverse. The court went on to describe an adverse activity as any action or behavior that would discourage a reasonable worker from making or supporting a claim of discrimination.http://www.vbjusa.com/stories/2006-10-13/interpreting_advers...