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.

As Veteran’s Day nears, OFCCP is keeping federal contractors busy reviewing the latest efforts the Agency is undertaking to ensure employers are in compliance with non-discrimination and affirmative action obligations for protected veterans.

In addition to releasing a supplement CSAL list for establishments that have been selected for VEVRAA Focused Reviews, OFCCP also publised

As previewed earlier this year, OFCCP is scheduled to publish on November 6, 2019 its proposed rule making addressing jurisdiction for TRICARE contractors and subcontractors.  As a reminder, OFCCP has had an audit moratorium in place since 2014 for employers that participate in TRICARE.

The proposed rule making seeks to codify OFCCP’s most recent

The Technical Assistance Guide for Educational Institutions (the “Guide”) OFCCP released recently is largely a review of existing standards and regulations, but it also includes suggested best practices and concrete guidance specific to educational institutions.

The complete document is available with other guidance on OFCCP’s Technical Assistance website. A summary follows.

Since releasing the

In an Executive Order issued yesterday, President Trump revoked Obama-Era Executive Order 13495, which provided some protection – a right of first refusal for continued employment – to qualified service workers when a government contract was replaced with a new contract and successor contractor at the same location.  President Trump’s Executive Order provides no

As previewed a while ago on the Agency’s Technical Assistance website, OFCCP has released a Technical Assistance Guide for Educational Institutions.  The 80-page guide contains

  • An overview of the equal employment opportunity obligations for federal contractors
  • The required components of affirmative action programs and related information
  • What to expect during an OFCCP compliance

At a time when the Agency has begun embarking on Section 503 Focused Reviews, OFCCP continues work to prevent discrimination for individuals with disabilities. Last week, as national disability awareness month began, OFCCP quietly published a request to tweak its prescribed disability self-identification form.  The revisions seek to streamline the form and provide additional guidance