Firm Wire items are announcements made by the firms themselves. The desk confirms that the announcement was published and reproduces its factual content. It does not verify the claims in it, and publication is not an endorsement.
Jackson Lewis said it published a legal update on Maryland’s Worker Freedom Act, which the firm said restricts mandatory employer communications about political or religious matters beginning October 1, 2026. The firm’s article compared the law with other states’ approaches and discussed employer preparation and enforcement.
Jackson Lewis said it hosted a September 24 webinar, OFCCP’s New Section 503 Final Rule: What Higher Education Institutions Need to Know, with Débora Piovezan Barbosa Avelino and Scott M. Pechaitis as speakers. The firm said the program covered the end of mandatory disability self-identification and utilization goals for federal contractor colleges and universities, remaining Section 503, ADA and Section 504 obligations, and updates to applicant tracking systems.
Jackson Lewis said it published the fourth episode of its We Get Contracting podcast, in which principals Scott Pechaitis and Laura Mitchell discussed the federal contractor affirmative action obligations that remain after OFCCP’s August 21 final rule. The firm said the episode covered the end of Section 503 disability data collection from September 21, the narrative plan requirements that survive, continuing VETS-4212 reporting due September 30, complaint investigations and state requirements.
Jackson Lewis published a legal update addressing employer preparations for the November 2026 compliance deadline under OSHA’s revised Hazard Communication Standard. The firm’s article examined chemical labels, written programs, employee training and safety data sheets, and distinguished the treatment of chemical substances from separate timelines for mixtures.