How to read a WARN notice: what it reveals that press releases do not

The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires many employers to give notice before a mass layoff or plant closing. States publish the notices they receive, which makes them one of the few public sources that includes private companies.

Who has to file

Broadly, the federal law covers employers with 100 or more employees. It requires 60 days' notice for a plant closing or a mass layoff, which generally means job losses at a single site that reach set thresholds, such as 50 or more employees making up at least a third of that site's workforce, or 500 or more employees. Some states have their own, stricter laws with lower thresholds and longer notice periods.

What a notice usually contains

• The employer's name and the site address
• The number of affected employees
• The planned date of the layoffs or closure
• Whether the action is a layoff or a closure

What to keep in mind

• A notice is a site, not a company. Ten notices from ten sites can add up to one company-wide cut.
• The date is the effective date. The notice usually appears roughly 60 days before it.
• Remote workers may be missing. Employees not tied to a worksite can fall outside what the notice counts.
• Coverage varies by state. Not every state publishes in a format that is easy to read.

Using WARN with SEC filings

Public companies can show up in both places. An SEC Item 2.05 filing gives the company-wide plan and charge; WARN notices show where the cuts land. EjectSeat lists notices from Texas and Maryland on the WARN page, and we are adding states as they become readable.