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.

With the transition to a new presidential administration well under way, everyone is looking for signs to help predict the future.  Given President Trump’s sweeping executive action, including entering an Executive Order requiring the identification of two regulations to be eliminated for every new regulation proposed, the question of whether the make-up of the

The New York Times reported this week President Trump will preserve intact President Obama’s LGBT order (Executive Order 13672) protecting applicants and employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.  As published by the Times, a White House statement provides:

President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of L.G.B.T.Q. rights,

Continuing the fervor of activity that has filled his first days in office, President Trump has appointed Victoria Lipnic as Acting Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Commission Lipnic has served on the Commission since being appointed in 2010 by President Obama.  Her current term is set to run through June 2020.

The

Federal agencies soon will be required to engage in affirmative outreach for individuals with disabilities. The final rule issued by EEOC on December 30, 2016, will require federal agencies to take steps to increase the number of its employees that are individuals with disabilities beginning in January 2018.

This is similar to the affirmative action

Happy New Year!

As we ring in 2017 and prepare for affirmative action and OFCCP compliance in a Trump administration, many contractors are wondering whether 2017 will bring an OFCCP audit their way.

Some may remember in years past around this time OFCCP would send out Courtesy Scheduling Announcement Letters (CSALs) providing advance notification

Who will lead the OFCCP under a new Trump administration?  The short is answer is we still don’t know. 

As we previously reported, OFCCP Director Pat Shiu left the Agency in the days following the election.  Deputy Director, Tom Dowd, a seasoned OFCCP official, has now taken the reins as the “Interim Acting Director”

President-elect Trump has announced many Cabinet appointments and last week announced Andy Puzder, head of fast food brands Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., for Secretary of Labor.  Several names were circulated in recent weeks as possible successors to outgoing Secretary Thomas Perez, including Vicki Lipnic, a current EEOC Commissioner.  However, in recent days it

Predicting what any new presidential administration will or won’t do based on campaign statements is risky.  Nonetheless, we may glean some insights.  For instance, of the equal employment opportunity priorities mentioned during the campaign, the President-elect and his daughter, Ivanka, spent time talking about wage equality and childcare.  For example, on the news program, 60

In a much anticipated, last minute ruling, a U.S. District Court Judge has ordered a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the labor law violation disclosure requirements and restriction on use of arbitration agreements portions of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Final Rule and Guidance (“Final Rule”), which were set to take effect today.

The pay