The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires companies planning a mass layoff to notify workers 60 days before the closure.
WARN compliance information
U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) provides compliance guidelines for layoff notification requirements.
- Use USDOL's compliance assistance page for more information.
- Use a USDOL WARN advisor wizard to determine if notification is required.
How to report a layoff
Companies must provide written notice to the Employment Security Department and to the chief elected official of the community where the layoff or closure will occur.
1. Write a letter on company letterhead, to attach in an email, that includes the following:
- Company name
- Physical and mailing address of layoff or closure
- Company represenatative name and phone number for rapid response services (local preferred)
- Mention if the WARN is either a layoff or a closure
- Mention if the WARN is either temporary or permanent
- Expected layoff date and a schedule of any further employment reductions
- Total number of employees affected by this notice
- Job titles of positions and the number of affected employees in each job category
- Mention if the affected employees are represented by a union.
- If so, name of each union/employee representative and the name and address of the chief elected officer of each union
- A statement of bumping rights, if any exist
2. Email and mail the letter to our Grants Management Office:
Employment Security Department
Grants Management Office
Attention: WARN Team
PO Box 9046
Olympia, WA 98507-9046
Employment Security will contact the listed company represenative (local) to acknowledge the receipt of the notification and provide this information to the local rapid response team.
3. Send a letter to the chief elected official of the community where the layoff or closure will occur
Additional mass-layoff information
- Go to the U.S. Department of Labor's WARN fact sheet to get complete details about WARN
- Go to our WARN page to see a list of Washington employers who announced layoffs or closures
- Learn about our services available to dislocated workers
- Read our privacy statement
