Why Train Your Employees with a WARN Act Course?
When large-scale layoffs or plant closures occur, compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act is not optional—it’s the law. This training provides managers, HR professionals, and business leaders with a detailed understanding of WARN Act requirements, ensuring that affected workers receive the legally mandated 60-day advance notice of job losses, and that employers avoid costly fines, penalties, and lawsuits.
What Will They Learn?
Participants will learn how to identify when WARN applies, who must receive notices, what information must be included, and how to properly serve those notices to employees, unions, and government officials. Real-world examples and case studies highlight how non-compliance has led to significant financial and reputational damage for employers.
Major Training Points:
- Understand the purpose and scope of the WARN Act of 1988.
- Identify which employers are covered (100 or more full-time employees or equivalent).
- Learn when WARN is triggered by a plant closing or mass layoff.
- Determine which employees are covered—including part-time, salaried, hourly, and unionized workers.
- Review bumping rights and notice responsibilities for seniority-based systems.
- Recognize employees not protected under the WARN Act (temporary, striking, or government workers).
- Understand timeframe calculations, including 30-day and 90-day layoff aggregation rules.
- Learn the exceptions to the 60-day notice—such as unforeseeable business circumstances, natural disasters, or faltering companies.
- Know what to include in WARN notices:
- Nature of the layoff or closure
- Effective dates and employee separation timelines
- Contact information for company representatives
- Details on bumping rights and available reemployment services
- Understand who must receive notices: affected employees, union representatives, the State Rapid Response Dislocated Worker Unit, and local government officials.
- Learn about alternative notices, extensions, and accuracy requirements under the law.
- Explore WARN’s relationship to collective bargaining agreements and other notice laws.
- Review penalties and enforcement actions—including back pay, benefits, and civil fines.
- Examine real case studies, such as multimillion-dollar WARN settlements for improper notice.
Why This Training Matters:
Failure to comply with WARN can lead to lawsuits, civil penalties, and up to 60 days of back pay and benefits per affected employee. This course helps organizations stay compliant, protect their reputation, and treat employees with fairness and transparency during difficult transitions.
