The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires certain employers to provide advance notice before plant closings, mass layoffs, and other qualifying workforce reductions. Determining whether the law applies and the manner in which it does, however, is not always straightforward. Factors including employee headcount, temporary workers, the reasons and scope of a workforce reduction, and the occurrence of multiple layoffs over time can all affect an employer’s obligations.
Below are several WARN Act compliance considerations discussed during a recent Varnum webinar.
Which Employers Are Covered by the WARN Act?
The WARN Act generally applies to employers with “100 or more employees,” but determining whether an employer meets that threshold is not always straightforward. For example:
Open questions may exist regarding the need to count the employees of parent, subsidiary, or affiliated entities, or contractors and their employees, depending on the nature of… Read the complete article here...
© 2026 Varnum LLP