WARN Laws by State: A Comprehensive Review

California's Cal-WARN Act strengthens federal protections significantly. It covers employers with as few as 75 employees (vs. the federal threshold of 100) and requires 60 days' notice for layoffs of 50 or more workers at a single site — removing the federal "33% of workforce" test entirely. There is no faltering-company exception, and the law applies to both mass layoffs and plant closures as well as relocations.

New York's WARN Act requires 90 days' advance notice — 30 days more than the federal minimum — and applies to employers with just 50 employees. A qualifying event is triggered by 25 or more workers or 33% of the workforce at a single site. Workers are entitled to back pay and benefits for any violation of the 90-day notice period.

New Jersey's WARN Act, significantly strengthened by 2023 amendments, requires 90 days' notice and mandates severance pay of one week per year of service (up to 10 weeks) for all affected workers — regardless of whether proper notice was given. The severance requirement is one of the most robust in the country and applies even when the employer gives adequate notice.

Illinois's WARN law applies to employers with at least 75 employees and requires 60 days' notice. A qualifying mass layoff is triggered either by 25+ workers who also represent 33% of the workforce, or by any layoff of 250 or more workers. The law otherwise mirrors federal WARN but extends coverage to more employers due to the lower threshold.

Massachusetts requires 90 days' advance notice for plant closings affecting 25 or more workers at establishments in operation for at least one year. If full notice is not given, the employer must pay severance of two weeks for each year of service. The law specifically targets facility closures rather than temporary mass layoffs.

Connecticut's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act mirrors federal WARN in most respects but lowers the trigger to 25 or more employees and focuses specifically on plant closures. Employers with 100+ employees who close a facility must give 60 days' notice to the affected workers and the state.

Maine's advance notice law applies to employers with 100 or more employees and requires 60 days' notice for the closure or relocation of a facility affecting 25 or more workers. Unlike federal WARN, Maine imposes a severance-pay requirement: workers are entitled to one week of pay per year of service if the employer fails to provide full advance notice.

Maryland requires 60 days' advance notice from employers with 50 or more employees when laying off 25 or more workers. The law has a significantly lower employer and trigger threshold than federal WARN and is administered by the Maryland Department of Labor.

Minnesota largely tracks federal WARN requirements but mandates that notice be submitted directly to the state Commissioner of Employment and Economic Development. The law applies to employers with 100+ employees and layoffs of 50 or more workers or 33% of the workforce at a single site.

Oregon requires 60 days' advance notice for the closure of an establishment that employs 100 or more persons and will result in at least 25 workers losing their jobs. The law is narrower than federal WARN in that it focuses on permanent closures rather than temporary mass layoffs, but it has a lower worker trigger (25 vs. 50).

Tennessee's plant closing and mass layoff notification law applies to employers with as few as 50 employees — half the federal threshold — and requires 60 days' advance notice for layoffs affecting 25 or more workers. The law generally mirrors the federal WARN Act's procedures and exceptions but reaches a broader range of employers.

Hawaii's WARN law covers employers with at least 50 employees and requires 60 days' advance notice for layoffs or closures affecting 25 or more workers. The law is similar to the federal WARN Act in structure but extends coverage to smaller employers.

Wisconsin requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide 60 days' advance notice when laying off 25 or more workers or 33% of the workforce. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development administers the law, which extends coverage to employers half the size required under federal WARN.

Iowa requires only 30 days' advance notice (vs. the federal 60) but extends coverage to employers with as few as 25 employees. The Iowa law is primarily focused on plant closings rather than temporary layoffs and is administered through the Iowa Workforce Development agency.