The big picture: The EEOC has filed a lawsuit against Sibitalent, an IT staffing agency, alleging it discriminated against an American database developer by marking a job as "ONLY H-1B" and refusing referral.

Why it matters: This case highlights the EEOC's focus on national origin discrimination, even when tied to visa requirements, and signals increased scrutiny on staffing agencies' referral practices.

Between the lines:

• The lawsuit, EEOC v. SibiTalent Corp., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
• The EEOC alleges the "ONLY H-1B" designation acted as a proxy for national origin discrimination against a U.S. worker.
• The agency emphasizes its mission to ensure equal opportunity for all, including American workers, under Title VII.

Staffing & HR impact: Staffing firms must meticulously review job postings and referral policies to avoid national origin discrimination claims, ensuring compliance with Title VII and mitigating significant legal risks. This could impact recruiter training and client communication regarding candidate sourcing.

The bottom line: This case is a clear warning to staffing agencies that visa requirements cannot be used to bypass national origin protections for U.S. workers.