Labor Laws

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) protects employees, their loved ones, and surrounding communities by demanding that companies with at least 100 workers give notice no less than 60 days prior to a factory closing or a sizeable layoff.

Employees who should receive notification as a result of WARN policy include managers and other administrators, along with hourly and salaried workers. WARN also asks that employee representatives, local government officials, and the state dislocated worker unit be informed.

Advance warning allows employees and their families a bit of a cushion to become accustomed to the idea of being unemployed, searching for and acquiring other jobs, and taking training classes that will make these workers highly competitive in the job market.

Typically, WARN covers employers with at least 100 employees who have worked a minimum of six of the past 12 months and an average of 20 or more hours per week. Employees eligible to receive advance notice through WARN coverage include administrative workers and those that are salaried and paid by the hour. WARN does not cover federal, state, and local government agencies that serve the public.

The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration oversees the WARN Act on the federal level, while some states govern their own plant closure laws. For further details about notification requirements in a certain area, consult a State Dislocated Worker Unit Coordinator.

The Department of Labor has no jurisdiction in terms of seeking damages for employees who never obtained enough notice of job discharge or simply were never told at all. But, it can help laid-off workers search for jobs and discover new educational opportunities to increase their marketability.