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.

And the twists and turns keep coming . . .

The federal court that issued a nationwide injunction of Executive Order (EO) 14042, “Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors,” has issued a new Order stating that it enjoined only the vaccine requirement of the EO’s implementing tool: the Safer Federal Taskforce Guidance

As the calendar turns over and employers start preparing for 2022, the annual EEO-1 reporting obligation may or may not be on the top of the “To-Do” list, and understandably so.  However, it should be.

The EEOC has provided recent updates about timing of the required filing and announced the discontinuation of the use of

The U.S. Department of Labor, including OFCCP, recently issued its Fall 2021 Regulatory Agenda, which identifies the regulatory goals the Agency would like to achieve during the fiscal year and beyond.  While OFCCP may not complete all (or even any) of these goals during the current fiscal year, the Agenda provides insights into the

Thankfully, the Office of Management and Budget has quickly issued guidance on the impact of yesterday’s federal court ruling enjoining the Biden Administration’s federal contractor vaccine mandate.  The guidance, as reported on the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force website, states for existing contracts that include Executive Order 14042 implementing language:

The Government will

As set forth in more detail in its Order, a Georgia federal district court judge today issued an injunction halting enforcement of Executive Order 14042, which requires that federal contractors and subcontractors with specific types of covered contracts ensure that their covered employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 18th, 2022.

As anticipated, OFCCP has published additional information, including an implementation timeline, for its Affirmative Action Verification Interface (AAPVI) Portal.  OFCCP provided the following timeline in its communication to contractors:

On Feb. 1, 2022, contractors may begin registering for access to the portal. OFCCP will also send an e-mail to each covered federal contractor

A federal judge in the case of Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Biden has decided President Joe Biden likely overstepped his authority with Executive Order 14042 in requiring federal contractors to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees.  Adding additional complexity and confusion to the already muddied landscape, the decision enjoins the Order for going into effect

The DOL today published the Final Rule implementing the $15 per hour minimum wage for federal contractor workers who work on or in connection with covered contracts, which President Biden authorized by in Executive Order 14026.   Building on former President Obama’s Executive Order 13658, President Biden in April 2021 issued the Order and the

Updated! The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force has updated the error in the vaccination deadline reported yesterday, correcting January 18, 2021 to January 18, 2022.

Vaccination of covered contractor employees, except in limited circumstances where an employee is legally entitled to an accommodation Covered contractors must ensure that all covered contractor employees are fully