HR Tuned In

Important Update from the EEOC About Hiring Practices (11/19/2025)

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently released new information to help employers understand what national origin discrimination looks like in the workplace.

In simple terms, this type of discrimination happens when someone is treated differently because of:

The country they come from

Their cultural or ethnic background

Their accent

How others think they look or sound

The EEOC also reminded employers that:
✔ Customer preferences
✔ Lower labor costs
✔ Stereotypes about work ethic
do NOT justify favoritism or discrimination.

What businesses should do now:

Double-check job ads and applications

Make sure all hiring steps are consistent

Train HR and recruiters

Review third-party staffing contracts

Document fair, job-related hiring standards

This update is a great reminder to keep workplace practices fair, consistent, and compliant.

EEOC Releases New and Updated Educational Materials on National Origin Discrimination WASHINGTON – The U.S.

Spring 2024 Regulatory Agenda
The Biden Administration announced the release of the Spring 2024 Unified Agenda, detailing regulatory activity planned for the coming months. Notably, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may issue a proposed rule in early 2025 to collect pay data from employers. The Department of Labor plans to issue a proposed rule detailing its ongoing reconsideration of the regulations that enable employers to pay subminimum wages to employees with disabilities, and the National Labor Relations Board indicated it plans to release a final rule revising union election procedures.

Make sure your team is trained yearly to catch costly mistakes. Contact us if you need to find out how to train your team.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule adjusting its fines for employers who fail to comply with Form I-9 requirements. The increased amounts adjusted for inflation will apply to penalties assessed after June 28, 2024, for violations after Nov. 2, 2015. The penalty range for Form I-9 paperwork violations has increased from $272 - $2,701 to $281 - $2,789. The penalties for knowingly employing unauthorized employees (first, second, and subsequent offenses) and violating key provisions of the Immigration Nationality Act (INA) have also increased.