OFCCP’s Contractor Portal, which will be used for certifying AAP development, as well as for uploading documents and data during a compliance review, opened for registration (not AAP certification) on February 1. If you’ve tried to register as a federal contractor or subcontractor at the OFCCP Contractor Portal, you may have encountered some “challenges.”
Laura A. Mitchell
Laura Mitchell is a principal in the Denver office of Jackson Lewis P.C. and leads the firm’s Workplace Analytics and Preventive Strategies Pay Equity subgroup. She partners with employers to evaluate, develop and implement policies and practices that ensure workplace fairness while mitigating legal risk. Laura is a guiding force in the firm’s most specialized and technical practice areas where she leverages an analytics-focused approach to partner with her clients in building legally compliant programs around which they can anchor their workplaces achieving productivity and stability.
Laura understands that creating a competitive advantage for employers in today’s workplace involves using a data-driven approach to counsel companies on the development of proactive and equitable non-discriminatory practices in hiring, promotions, separations and pay—and where advancements in technology can create both opportunities for efficiencies and risk that can be measured. Committed to putting her clients’ organizational goals first and foremost while balancing legal risk, Laura views herself as an extension of her clients’ team, responsible for providing proactive guidance and engaging in transparent, ongoing communication. Staying the course with employers across their organizational journey while balancing legal compliance obligations throughout their employees’ lifecycle ensures Laura’s position as a go-to resource.
Laura works with companies across all industries—both new and well-established multi-national organizations of all sizes—to realize the combined vision of legal compliance, increased productivity and economic growth enhanced by a focus on pay equity. As part of the pay equity journey, she advises employers on the evolving pay transparency landscape, working to align compliant practices with the practical realities of the business world.
Laura partners closely with government contractors to understand, implement and demonstrate compliance with their EEO regulatory and compliance obligations. She also works closely with non-government contractor clients to conduct risk assessments of their programs, policies, and training to align with federal and state anti-discrimination requirements.
Laura is the editor and a principal contributor of the GovCon Employment Exchange blog and presents on pay equity and government contractor obligations. To round out her days, Laura enjoys spending time with her family and friends attending sports events, working out, riding her bike, playing pickleball and taking in Colorado’s incomparable sunsets.
It’s Live: OFCCP Contractor Portal Opens for Contractor Registration (But Not Certification)
It’s here! As we’ve been discussing, the Agency announced today during a live webinar the opening of the Contractor Portal, which will be used for AAP certification, as well as submission of data and documents during compliance reviews. However, construction contractors will not be required to register in the Portal or certify AAP…
Court Opines that Nationwide Injunction on COVID-19 Vaccine for Federal Contractors Applies to Vaccine Requirement Only
And the twists and turns keep coming . . .
The federal court that issued a nationwide injunction of Executive Order (EO) 14042, “Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors,” has issued a new Order stating that it enjoined only the vaccine requirement of the EO’s implementing tool: the Safer Federal Taskforce Guidance…
Update on Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate Injunction
As previously reported, President Biden’s Federal Contractor Vaccine mandate is under a nationwide injunction and that does not look to be changing anytime soon.
In December 2021, the Administration filed their appeal of the preliminary injunction ruling to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and requested a stay of the injunction. On December…
EEO-1 Reporting Updates
As the calendar turns over and employers start preparing for 2022, the annual EEO-1 reporting obligation may or may not be on the top of the “To-Do” list, and understandably so. However, it should be.
The EEOC has provided recent updates about timing of the required filing and announced the discontinuation of the use of…
OFCCP Unveils Upcoming Regulatory Plans in Recently Released Fall 2021 Agenda
The U.S. Department of Labor, including OFCCP, recently issued its Fall 2021 Regulatory Agenda, which identifies the regulatory goals the Agency would like to achieve during the fiscal year and beyond. While OFCCP may not complete all (or even any) of these goals during the current fiscal year, the Agenda provides insights into the…
OMB Issues Guidance on Impact of Injunction on Government Contractor Vaccine Mandate
Thankfully, the Office of Management and Budget has quickly issued guidance on the impact of yesterday’s federal court ruling enjoining the Biden Administration’s federal contractor vaccine mandate. The guidance, as reported on the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force website, states for existing contracts that include Executive Order 14042 implementing language:
The Government will
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BREAKING NEWS – Full Stop on Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate: Nationwide Injunction Issued
As set forth in more detail in its Order, a Georgia federal district court judge today issued an injunction halting enforcement of Executive Order 14042, which requires that federal contractors and subcontractors with specific types of covered contracts ensure that their covered employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 18th, 2022.…
OFCCP Officially Launches Contractor Affirmative Action Verification Interface (AAPVI) Portal
As anticipated, OFCCP has published additional information, including an implementation timeline, for its Affirmative Action Verification Interface (AAPVI) Portal. OFCCP provided the following timeline in its communication to contractors:
On Feb. 1, 2022, contractors may begin registering for access to the portal. OFCCP will also send an e-mail to each covered federal contractor …
BREAKING NEWS: Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate Temporarily Enjoined in Three States
A federal judge in the case of Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Biden has decided President Joe Biden likely overstepped his authority with Executive Order 14042 in requiring federal contractors to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees. Adding additional complexity and confusion to the already muddied landscape, the decision enjoins the Order for going into effect…