Photo of Laura A. Mitchell

As co-leader of the firm’s ESG group, Laura Mitchell partners with her clients to evaluate, set, achieve and monitor their organizational culture and human capital goals. She focuses her practice on data analytics, including pay equity and other employee analytics, working side-by-side with employers to build programs that benefit employees and create a stable, high-functioning workplace. Understanding that an inclusive, values-based culture provides a crucial competitive advantage in the modern workplace, Laura enjoys counseling companies on the development of proactive and equitable pay and diversity practices.

In Laura’s version of the reimagined workplace, attention to human capital issues, especially DEI and pay equity, would be the rule rather than the exception nationwide and she works with companies across all industries—both new and well-established multi-national organizations of all sizes—to realize this vision for her clients’ ongoing success. She helps clients understand all issues across the spectrum of their journey, helping to establish regular analyses as well as counseling organizations on implementation and compliance obligations, where applicable. Committed to putting her clients’ organizational goals first and foremost, Laura views herself as an extension of her clients’ team, responsible for providing proactive guidance and engaging in transparent, ongoing communication.

Laura also represents companies in OFCCP matters, preparing for and defending OFCCP audits, and counseling employers on issues stemming from OFCCP regulations. She personally oversees the development of hundreds of Affirmative Action Plans for clients each year and is intimately involved in the defense of OFCCP audits. Her approach to compliance is one of facilitation and conciliation while simultaneously advocating in the best interests of her clients.

OFCCP’s second Directive under the leadership of Director Jenny Yang addresses audit practices and rescinding four Directives issued by former OFCCP Director, Craig Leen.  This Directive comes on the heels of another new Directive 2022-01-Pay Equity Audits and a notice of the Agency’s intention to rescind a Leen-era regulation – Nondiscrimination Obligations of Federal Contractors

Directive 2022-02: Effective Compliance Evaluations and Enforcement issued March 31, 2022 is intended to

strengthen OFCCP compliance evaluations and reduce delay by promoting the timely exchange of information

It also sets a number of expectations for contractor conduct and compliance during reviews, rescinding a number of previous Directives that set out transparency and expectations and

As anticipated, OFCCP has released its proposal to revise the Agency’s Rule on Nondiscrimination Obligations of Federal Contractors and Subcontractors: Procedures to Resolve Potential Employment Discrimination.  The final rule, published in November 2020, codified the used of The Predetermination Notice and the Notice of Violation as part of OFCCP’s enforcement activities.

In today’s message from

In addition to digesting OFCCP’s release of a new directive on compensation, government contractors may soon see new regulations around inquiries into and the use of prior salary information.  In conjunction with Equal Pay Day, President Biden signed a new Executive Order on Advancing Economy, Efficiency, and Effectiveness in Federal Contracting by Promoting Pay

OFCCP’s contractor portal is new for everyone, and we are all learning how to use it.

But it presents a unique and interesting inflection point for higher education employers.

Let us explain . . .

OFCCP uses EEO-1 reports to identify the scope of potential contractor establishments for audit.  Because higher education contractors do

OFCCP’s Contractor Portal, which will be used for certifying AAP development, as well as for uploading documents and data during a compliance review, opened for registration (not AAP certification) on February 1.  If you’ve tried to register as a federal contractor or subcontractor at the OFCCP Contractor Portal, you may have encountered some “challenges.” 

It’s here!  As we’ve been discussing, the Agency announced today during a live webinar the opening of the Contractor Portal, which will be used for AAP certification, as well as submission of data and documents during compliance reviews.  However, construction contractors will not be required to register in the Portal or certify AAP