Photo of 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.

Yesterday, the Safer Workforce Taskforce (Task Force) publicized a slew of new FAQs with one set containing surprising information regarding federal contractors.  To be clear, this is not the guidance contractors are waiting for with respect to implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order 14042 – Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors.  With that

During a press conference Thursday afternoon, President Biden announced a broad plan that will include as-yet undefined guidance to require federal contractors to “provide adequate COVID-19 safeguards to their workers performing on or in connection with a Federal Government contract or contract-like instrument.”  While the President’s remarks and the Administration’s corresponding plan suggest a vaccine

On the eve of the Labor Day weekend, OFCCP notified federal contractors of the availability of updated census data for use in determining the AAP availability of women and minorities:  Equal Employment Opportunity Tabulation (EEO Tab).  While the data is not 2020 census data, it is based on 2014 through 2018 American Community Survey

September is starting off in a hurry with a flurry of activity from OFCCP.  In addition to notices involving pay data and AAP verification, OFCCP also issued a new federal construction contractor Courtesy Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) identifying an additional 400 construction compliance reviews.  Simultaneously, OFCCP disclosed its Methodology for Developing the CSAL.

Among the many “hot” topics for federal contractors, OFCCP’s intention for AAP verification and/or certification ranks among the top.  In September 2020, OFCCP published a notice seeking comment on the possibility of an annual AAP certification and verification process.  Towards that end, the Agency also sought Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an

The EEOC has announced on its EEO-1 Data Collection website that it has, again, extended the deadline for filing EEO-1 Reports this year—this time to October 25.  Employers still rushing to finalize and upload their 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 reports by the prior August 23 deadline will certainly welcome this extra breathing room.

But EEOC’s

The final day of the 2021 NILG National Conference ended on a high note with presentations from, and panel discussions with, OFCCP Regional Directors Melissa Speer (SWARM), Aida Collins (SE), Michele Hodge (MidAtlantic) and Diana Sen (NE).  The four women represented the six OFCCP regions, speaking on behalf of Jane Suhr (Pacific) and Carmen Navarro

On the heels of a successful first day of the 2021 ILG National Conference, attendees were treated to an in-person morning keynote speech from Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Charlotte Burrows to kick-off the second day of the conference.

Chair Burrows recognized in her opening remarks the current challenges facing our nation can sometimes