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 previewed last week, EEOC has provided additional details regarding the anticipated opening of the EEO-1 pay data reporting portal and helpdesk.

The EEOC is now reporting it expects a web-based portal for the collection of 2017 and 2018 Component 2 data will be active by mid-July 2019.Continue Reading EEOC Provides Update on EEO-1 Pay Data Reporting Portal and Helpdesk Development

The Department of Labor has announced updates to the Notification of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Law poster, required to be posted (in 11×17 format) by federal contractors and subcontractors pursuant to Executive Order 13496.

The changes include:

  • a new telephone number for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the agency responsible for enforcing

This week the Department of Labor announced its spring 2019 Regulatory Agenda.   Included was an new item from OFCCP that was part of its prior published regulatory agenda.  As OFCCP previously announced in 2018, its planned rule-making agenda for the near future includes rulemaking to address affirmative action obligations for TRICARE providers (slated for May 2019) and contractor’s use of religious exemptions (slated for June 2019).
Continue Reading OFCCP Adds to 2019 Rulemaking Agenda

OFCCP Director Craig Leen thinks the Agency has made good progress on implementing “the four pillars” but there is still work to be done.

Speaking this week in Florida, Director Leen shared accomplishments, and things to come, for each of the four tenants.  However, he noted he was not allowed to comment on the pending proposed changes to the scheduling letters.Continue Reading Director Leen Shares OFCCP Update

The past few weeks have seen a flow of new developments involving the recently reinstated EEO-1 pay data reporting obligations.  And Friday, May 3rd, was no exception.  At the same time EEOC was announcing its decision to collect pay data for 2017 as well as 2018, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was filing a Notice of Appeal of Judge Tanya S. Chutkan’s Order reinstating the pay data reporting obligation.
Continue Reading EEOC Provides Pay Data Reporting Update

One of the biggest outstanding questions about the recently reinstated pay data reporting obligation was whether employers will be required to provide more than one year of pay data during this reporting cycle.  EEOC has made its decision.  In an advance copy of a notice to be posted in the federal register May 3, EEOC puts employers on notice that it will seek to collect data for 2017 in addition to 2018.
Continue Reading EEOC Decides to Collect 2017 Pay Data In Addition to Data for 2018