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.

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration are holding a Twitter Chat to discuss efforts to improve employment opportunities for millions of qualified workers with disabilities.  Details are as follows:

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Save the Date! October 24, 2014 Twitter Chat:

You’re invited to

It’s here.  OFCCP’s New Scheduling Letter and Itemized Listing has been released and is effective for any audits initiated today, October 1, 2014, and going forward.  OFCCP has announced, however, that it will not schedule audits from October 1 through October 15 to allow contractors time to “become acquainted” with the new scheduling letter and

We have learned that Patrick Patterson will soon be announced as the new Deputy Director of OFCCP in the Agency’s national office, replacing Les Jin.  Since 2010, Deputy Director Patterson has served as Senior Counsel to EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien, who recently announced her departure from the Commission.  Consistent with other recent OFCCP appointments, Deputy

OFCCP recently mailed out close to 2,500 Courtesy Scheduling Announcement Letters to employers providing advance notice of upcoming audits. Up against the fast-approaching end of the Agency’s fiscal year, OFCCP began initiating actual audits immediately after the CSALs were mailed.

While we can certainly expect OFCCP to continue to focus their enforcement efforts on traditional