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.

Today, OFCCP issued its first Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) of 2019, providing advance notification of compliance reviews, including CMCEs, Section 503 Focused Reviews and compliance checks. True to expectations, the Agency vastly increased the number of locations subject to review to more than 3,500.

OFCCP continued its new policy of transparency by publishing the

In August 2018, OFCCP released Directive 2018-04 announcing the Agency’s implementation of Section 503 Focused Reviews. Long a priority Director Craig Leen, the Agency is hopeful the reviews will improve compliance with the regulations and promulgate EEO for Individuals with Disabilities. OFCCP has indicated it will start scheduling the Section 503 Focused Reviews with

OFCCP announced Friday that it will post a new Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL)(formerly known as Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter or Courtesy Scheduling Announcement Letter) in “mid-to-late March.”  As previously announced, OFCCP now makes the CSAL publicly available and, for the first time, OFCCP will send no letters to federal contractors – thus the

On the eve of St. Valentine’s Day, OFCCP is wanting contractors to feel the love.  In its fourth directive of fiscal year 2019, OFCCP has unveiled a Voluntary Enterprise-wide Review Program, otherwise referred to as VERP.  Directive 2019-04 states VERP

enables OFCCP to blend its compliance evaluation and compliance assistance activities to work with high‐performing

Last August we reported on OFCCP’s announcement  (DIR 2018-04) that starting in 2019 it would be conducting truncated “Focused Reviews” that centered on compliance with AAP requirements under Section 503 (Individuals with Disabilities) and VEVRAA (Veterans).

If everything goes according to OFCCP’s plan, the next round of CSALs will include notices for these