Just in time for its next round of audits, OFCCP has released its annual review of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (“VEVRAA”) benchmark. And for the fifth consecutive year, the benchmark has been reduced benchmark. It is now at 5.9%. The new benchmark will be effective for affirmative action plans updated
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.
BREAKING NEWS: OFCCP Releases First CSAL of 2019
Today, OFCCP issued its first Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) of 2019, providing advance notification of compliance reviews, including CMCEs, Section 503 Focused Reviews and compliance checks. True to expectations, the Agency vastly increased the number of locations subject to review to more than 3,500.
OFCCP continued its new policy of transparency by publishing the…
UPDATE: EEOC Has Until April 3 to Advise About Pay Data Reporting
In the continually developing story of employee pay data reporting, the Judge who overturned the stay on the EEO-1 reporting obligation has granted the government until April 3 to inform employers as to whether they will be required to report pay data as part of this year’s EEO-1 reporting cycle, which opened Monday, March 18th…
OFCCP Launches Section 503 Focused Review Informational Webpage
In August 2018, OFCCP released Directive 2018-04 announcing the Agency’s implementation of Section 503 Focused Reviews. Long a priority Director Craig Leen, the Agency is hopeful the reviews will improve compliance with the regulations and promulgate EEO for Individuals with Disabilities. OFCCP has indicated it will start scheduling the Section 503 Focused Reviews with…
BREAKING NEWS: Judge Vacates Stay of EEO-1 Pay Data Reporting Tool
As Bloomberg Law first reported, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has found the government did not have proper justification to stay implementation of the EEOC’s pay data collection tool. As a result, the court has vacated the 2017 stay and ordered
the previous approval of the revised EEO-1 form shall be
…
Head’s-Up: OFCCP to Post CSAL in Mid-to-Late March 2019
OFCCP announced Friday that it will post a new Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL)(formerly known as Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter or Courtesy Scheduling Announcement Letter) in “mid-to-late March.” As previously announced, OFCCP now makes the CSAL publicly available and, for the first time, OFCCP will send no letters to federal contractors – thus the …
OFCCP Releases New Enterprise-wide Voluntary Compliance Program
On the eve of St. Valentine’s Day, OFCCP is wanting contractors to feel the love. In its fourth directive of fiscal year 2019, OFCCP has unveiled a Voluntary Enterprise-wide Review Program, otherwise referred to as VERP. Directive 2019-04 states VERP
enables OFCCP to blend its compliance evaluation and compliance assistance activities to work with high‐performing
…
OFCCP Receives Approval for Section 503 Focused Review Scheduling Letter
Last August we reported on OFCCP’s announcement (DIR 2018-04) that starting in 2019 it would be conducting truncated “Focused Reviews” that centered on compliance with AAP requirements under Section 503 (Individuals with Disabilities) and VEVRAA (Veterans).
If everything goes according to OFCCP’s plan, the next round of CSALs will include notices for these…
EEO-1 Filing Deadline Extended
The EEOC announced on February 1, 2019 that due to the partial government shutdown, the 2018 EEO-1 filing portal will open “in early March” for filing of 2018 reports. As a result of the delayed opening, EEOC has extended the filing deadline by two months. The new deadline by which to file is May 31…
OFCCP Opinion Letters – The Agency Wants To Answer Contractors’ Questions
As part of OFCCP’s continuing efforts at transparency, the Agency in late-November 2018 issued a Directive stating it would develop “a dynamic and searchable publicly available source of Help Desk questions and answers to assist contractors.” Moreover, the Directive announced OFCCP would issue Opinion Letters to provide guidance on specific topics, either in response to …