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Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act)
Practical Law Glossary Item 5-382-3912 (Approx. 3 pages)
Glossary
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act)
A federal law requiring covered employers to provide 60 days advance notice of a plant closing or mass layoff to:
- Each affected employee or their union representative (if any).
- The state rapid response dislocated worker unit (for more information from the Department of Labor, see State Rapid Response Coordinators).
- The chief elected local government official.
(29 U.S.C. §§ 2101 to 2109.)
Exceptions to the 60-day notice requirement may be available in certain circumstances (see Practice Note, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act: Overview: Exceptions to the 60-Day Advance Notice Requirement).
Generally, the WARN Act applies to private and quasi-public (for example, certain housing authorities) employers that employ more than 100 full-time employees.
Several states have enacted state WARN Acts that impose additional requirements. These state statutes are often referred to as mini-WARN Acts or baby-WARN Acts.
For more information, see Practice Note, Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) Act: Overview and Mini-WARN Acts: State Q&A Tool.