On November 19, 2025, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released new and updated educational materials to reinforce its focus on preventing national origin discrimination in the workplace. As part of this effort, the agency issued a new one-page technical assistance document, “Discrimination Against American Workers Is Against the Law,” designed to help workers better understand their rights.
The EEOC also updated its national origin discrimination landing page, which compiles resources for both workers and employers. The revised page provides clearer information on what unlawful national origin discrimination can look like in the workplace and outlines steps individuals can take if they believe their rights have been violated.
According to the press release, the materials are based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, existing EEOC guidance, and relevant Supreme Court decisions. The updated landing page also notes that some forms of misconduct may violate additional federal laws and provides links to federal partners, including the US Department of Labor and the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
The updates reflect EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas’s ongoing commitment to ensuring consistent enforcement of civil rights protections for all workers. They also emphasize the agency’s continued attention to addressing unlawful national origin discrimination, including situations where American workers may be adversely affected.
The educational resources highlight that national origin discrimination can take many forms, including disparate treatment, harassment, retaliation, and discriminatory job advertisements or hiring practices.
“The EEOC is here to protect all workers from unlawful national origin discrimination — including American workers,” Lucas said. “The EEOC remains committed to ensuring that employers understand their responsibilities and that workers are aware of the protections afforded to them under federal law.”
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Discrimination based on national origin occurs when employees or applicants are treated unfavorably—or preferentially—because they are from a particular country or region, have a certain ethnicity or accent, or are perceived to belong to a specific ethnic background, which may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII protects all employees and applicants, including American workers, from national origin discrimination, which can include preferring foreign workers, such as those with certain visa statuses, over American workers. It can also involve treating someone unfavorably because they are married to or associated with a person of a particular national origin, and discrimination may occur even when both individuals share the same national origin.
Discussion Points
- Review and update policies and procedures to ensure they clearly prohibit national origin discrimination, outline expectations for nondiscriminatory hiring and employment practices, and describe the process for reporting and investigating concerns. Facilities may also benefit from periodically consulting with an external compliance or regulatory expert to help evaluate whether existing policies align with current federal guidance and best practices.
- Provide regular education and training to all staff on what constitutes national origin discrimination, their rights under federal law, and their responsibility to report concerns promptly. Supervisors and compliance personnel should receive additional guidance on recognizing issues and responding appropriately. Med-Net Academy offers courses that support these requirements, including EEOC – Its Role and Requirements, which reviews the EEOC’s function, applicable laws, and employer responsibilities, and Fraud Series Module 5 – Harassment and Discrimination, which discusses workplace harassment and discrimination and outlines the proper communication channels for reporting concerns.
- Conduct periodic audits—such as anonymous staff surveys, hiring file reviews, and focused evaluations of workplace practices—to identify potential risks or patterns related to discrimination or barriers to reporting. Facilities may choose to work with an independent consultant to support these reviews, especially when preparing for regulatory surveys or when targeted assessments of specific departments or processes are needed.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, Inc. for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*