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.

Following the tone of the preceding days, the 2018 ILG National Conference closed Friday morning with a friendly conversation between Acting Director Craig Leen and NILG Chair Paul McGovern.  The two discussed several of the themes and OFCCP initiatives addressed during the conference:

It has been a busy morning on the first day of the 2018 ILG National Conference in Anaheim, California.  After a dramatic and moving opening presentation, OFCCP Acting Director Craig Leen gave the morning’s Keynote address.  Echoing the conference’s “Navigating the Waves of Change” theme, Acting Director Leen spoke to the group about the

Early in the Trump Administration, it was proposed to move OFCCP into the EEOC.  Congress subsequently rejected the budget proposal containing the proposed merger and the idea was put to rest.

Not to give up it’s quest to streamline the Administration and propose budget-saving measures, the Administration recently proposed a merger of the Departments

Today, the Trump Administration released its Spring 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which “reports on the actions administrative agencies plan to issue in the near and long term.”

OFCCP has only one item listed on its agenda, entitled “Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination Obligations of Federal Contractors and Subcontractors: TRICARE and Certain

In the words of OFCCP, the contractors spoke and OFCCP listened.  OFCCP is also listening to the Government Accountability Office and its detailed review of the Agency.

In response to the GAO’s Strengthening Oversight Could Improve Federal Contract Nondiscrimination Compliance report and on the heels of OFCCP’s Compliance Assistance Town Halls, the Agency has

Bloomberg Law is reporting OFCCP may soon rescind the controversial Directive 307, which has been in place since early 2013, and sets out the Agency’s current methodology for analyzing pay.  In its place, Bloomberg reports OFCCP will direct compliance officers to review compensation based on pay groupings established by the contractor.  If the directive