Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
(WARN Act)
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State Labor Sites
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) is administered by the U.S.
Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA).  It requires most
employers with 100 or more employees to provide employees, bargaining representatives of
the employees (i.e., unions), and specific government agencies at least 60 days notice of any
plant closing and mass layoff.

The purpose of the WARN Act is to give workers and their families some transition time to
prepare for the prospective loss of employment, to seek a new job, and, if necessary, to seek
training in a new skill or retraining in an existing skill that will allow the workers to obtain
replacement work.

Generally, WARN covers employers with 100 or more employees, not including:
- employees who have worked less than six (6) months in the last 12 months, and
- employees who work an average of less than 20 hours a week.

Employers must provide the WARN notice to all employees, including managers and
supervisors.

An employer must provide the required notice when its closes a plant or effectuates a mass
layoff.  The number of affected workers is the total number laid off during a 30‑day (or in some
cases 90‑day) period.

A plant closing includes:
- the closing of a facility for more than six (6) months,
- the shut down of an operating unit for more than six (6) months, or
- when 50 or more employees are laid off during any 30‑day period at a single location.

A mass layoff occurs when a layoff, lasting at least six months, affects either:
- 500 or more workers. or
- at least 33% of the workforce when the layoff affects between 50 and 499 workers.

Each state has a designated office or officer with which the WARN notice must be filed.  See
State Rapid Response Coordinators.  Additionally, seven (7) states have more stringent
notification requirements than those in the WARN Act.  The table below outlines each state's
WARN requirements and a link to the state department responsible for receiving WARN
notices and dealing with WARN Act issue.
Additional Resources Regarding the WARN Act:
If you do not find the answer to your question through this summaries or through the links
below, feel free to contact us with your question.  We'll do our best to help you find the
answer you are looking for.
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creates an express or implied contract.  While efforts are made to present only accurate and current
information, laws can and do change and interpretations vary among jurisdictions, so all information is
presented on an “as-is” basis.  This site is for informational purposes only.  
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State
 State WARN Law
 Requirements
Alabama
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Alaska
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Arizona
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Arkansas
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
California
 Yes
 Applies to employers with 75 or more full or part-time
employees where 50 or more employees are to be laid
off due to a plant closing, mass layoff, or relocation of the
employer's business.  Unlike the federal law, there is no
requirement that the number of employees to be laid off
constitute a certain percentage of the employer's
workforce.  Relocation is defined as a move to a different
location more than 100 miles from the prior location.
Colorado
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Connecticut
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Delaware
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Florida
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Georgia
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Hawaii
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Idaho
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Illinois
 Yes
 Applies to employers with 75 or more full-time
employees when:
- 25 or more full-time employees are laid off if they
constitute one-third or more of the full-time employees at
the site, or
- 250 or more full-time employees are laid off
Indiana
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Iowa
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Kansas
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Kentucky
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Louisiana
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Maine
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Maryland
 Yes
 Maryland's version of WARN, the Maryland Economic
Stabilization Act, is voluntary and applies to employers in
the industrial, commercial, and business industries with
50 or more employees.  Otherwise, an employer must
comply with the federal requirements.
Massachusetts
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Michigan
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Minnesota
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Mississippi
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Missouri
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Montana
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Nebraska
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Nevada
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
New Hampshire
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
New Jersey
 Yes
 Applies to employers who have been in business at
least three years and have at least 100 employees.  It
applies in situations where a covered employer:
- transfers or terminates its operations during any
continuous period of 30 days which results in the
termination of employment of 50 or more full-time
employees, or
- conducts a mass layoff that results in an employment
loss during any 30 day period of:
  • 500 or more full-time employees, or
  • 50 or more full-time employees representing one
    third or more of the full-time employees at the
    establishment
New Mexico
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
New York
 Yes
 Applies to private employers with 50 or more workers
who layoff at least 25 employees.
North Carolina
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
North Dakota
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Ohio
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Oklahoma
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Oregon
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Pennsylvania
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Rhode Island
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
South Carolina
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
South Dakota
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Tennessee
 Yes
 Applies to employers with 50 or more employees,
instead of the 100 required by the federal law.  All other
federal requirements apply.
Texas
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Utah
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Vermont
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Virginia
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Washington
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
West Virginia
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
Wisconsin
 Yes
 Applies to employers with 50 or more employees.  It
applies in situations where a covered employer:
Wyoming
 No
 Same as the federal requirements.
State Dislocated/Displaced Worker Resources: