In another show of transparency, OFCCP has released a detail description of its process for selecting contractors for audit. The two-page document walks through, step-by-step, the process OFCCP undertook to identify establishments for the “first release of the FY 2018 Supply and Service scheduling list.” As the release explains, OFCCP is not required
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.
OFCCP Reduces Veteran Hiring Benchmark
OFCCP has announced the new Veteran Hiring benchmark will be 6.4% effective March 31, 2018. Affirmative Action Plans in effect until the March 31, 2018 date should utilize the prior year’s benchmark of 6.7%.
The benchmark has steadily declined since its inception in 2014 and this year is the fourth reduction of the benchmark since…
OFCCP Wants Your Feedback
If you’ve e-mailed anything to OFCCP in connection with a compliance review in the past 5 years you likely received a message recently letting you know about OFCCP’s upcoming survey. As it did several years ago, OFCCP will be asking a select group of contractors to provide feedback on how the agency is doing and…
Scheduling Letters Are In the Mail
When the Agency mailed the most recent round of CSALs in February 2018, it reported it would wait until March 19, 2018 to start issuing Scheduling Letters. True to their word, we have learned that Scheduling Letters have started arriving, at least in some areas of the country.
As a reminder, OFCCP sends scheduling letters…
OFCCP Funding to Remain at Same Level
In the new spending bill passed by Congress and approved by President Trump last week, OFCCP will receive essentially the amount of funding as it has in previous years. As signed by the President, the budget has $103,476,000 allocated to OFCCP, which is comparable to the $103,767,000 for FY2018, and significantly up from the $91…
OFCCP Issues New Directive in Furtherance of Commitment to Increased Transparency
by Laura A. Mitchell and Christopher T. Patrick
Under the leadership of new OFCCP Director Ondray Harris, the Agency has issued its first policy directive of 2018. Directive 2018-01, effective February 27, addresses an area of concern discussed at length during the Agency’s listening sessions earlier this year: the need for increased…
Federal Contractor Paid Sick Leave in Effect
As the first quarter of 2018 nears its end, and we are adjusting to an extra hour of daylight (and an hour less sleep this weekend) we wanted to take a moment to remind you about the Paid Sick Leave obligations that went into effect in January 2017 for covered contractors. For a refresher of…
Public Advocacy Group Sues OFCCP in Connection with EEO-1 FOIA Requests
As we’ve been discussing, now is the time for employers to be filing their annual EEO-1 reports. Coincidentally, and perhaps not un-intentionally, Public Citizen, a non profit advocacy group is also using this time to sue OFCCP around its practices of withholding information involving employers’ EEO-1 reports.
On February 26, Public Citizen filed suit…
UPDATE: EEOC Clarifies Change to EEO-1 Reporting for Employees at Client Sites
As we recently reported, the instructions for filing current EEO-1 reports includes a change to the reporting requirements for employees working at client sites.
Acknowledging confusion surrounding the instruction, EEOC presented the following today during a webinar held for members of the Industry Liaison Group community:
It has come to the EEOC’s attention that
…
Changes to EEO-1 Reporting for Employees at Client Sites
As we shared previously, the portal is currently open for EEO-1 Reporting. In addition to the change in timing of reporting and other administrative items, the EEOC Joint Reporting Commission has made a change to the way employers must report certain types of employees.
Employers with employees who “regularly report” to client sites…