The WARN Act, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, is a set of U.S. labor laws that require employers who meet certain criteria to give a minimum 60-day notice of mass layoffs or plant closings. The purpose of the WARN Act is to protect workers, their families, and communities by requiring employers to give advance notice in cases of qualified plant closings and mass layoffs. The act helps ensure that employees have time to transition and adjust to the potential loss of employment, seek alternative jobs, and obtain skills training or retraining to successfully compete in the job market.

Employers with 100 or more employees are required to comply with the WARN Act. The act applies to businesses that employ at least 100 full-time employees or a combination of at least 100 part-time and full-time employees who work a total of 4000 hours per week. Employers who violate the WARN Act may be required to give employees 60 days’ notice in writing of a mass layoff or plant closing, or to pay the employees if they fail to give the notice.

If an employer fails to give the required notice, employees may be entitled to benefits under the WARN Act, such as pay for the 60-day notice period, retirement benefits, and medical expenses that would have been covered under the medical insurance plan. Employees who believe their employer has violated the WARN Act can file a claim against their employer.