Glossary — Hr compliance

WARN Act

A federal law requiring 60 days advance notice of large-scale layoffs and plant closures.

Definition

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 requires employers with 100+ full-time employees to provide 60 days advance notice of mass layoffs (500+ employees, or 50-499 if they represent 33%+ of workforce) and plant closings (50+ employees at a single site). Some states have additional or stricter "mini-WARN" laws — notably CA, NY, NJ, IL.

Failure to provide WARN notice can result in back pay and benefits for the missed notice period, plus civil penalties.

Common questions about WARN Act

A federal law requiring 60 days advance notice of large-scale layoffs and plant closures.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 requires employers with 100+ full-time employees to provide 60 days advance notice of mass layoffs (500+ employees, or 50-499 if they represent 33%+ of workforce) and plant closings (50+ employees at a single site).

Most PEO buying decisions touch several related concepts at once. WARN Act typically comes up alongside the other terms in this category. Closely related terms include Severance pay, Wrongful termination.

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This is one entry from our PEO glossary covering payroll, benefits, workers comp, HR compliance, and PEO mechanics. Browse all terms.

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