Under the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), employers are required to provide 60 days advance notice of either a plant closing or mass layoff. This notice must be provided to the employees, any applicable unions, and government officials. The Act defines “plant closing” as a shutdown of a single site, which will result in the loss of employment for 50 or more employees within a 30-day period.
Additionally, a “mass layoff,” including a loss of employment of at least 33 percent of the workforce (with a minimum of 50 employees being affected); or a loss of employment of 500 or more employees at a single sight, within a 30-day period, is covered under the Act.