On October 1, 2025, California amended its existing mini-WARN Act, imposing on employers, who are conducting a mass layoff, termination, or relocation of its workforce, an additional obligation to include specific information in their WARN notices.
As a reminder, California’s mini-WARN Act applies to all employers in California that operate a “covered establishment,” which is defined as “any industrial or commercial facility or part thereof that employs, or has employed within the preceding 12 months, 75 or more” employees. Under California’s mini-WARN Act, an employer’s obligations are triggered if a mass layoff, termination, or relocation occurs, and employers in California should be aware that these terms are broader than those set forth in the federal WARN Act. For example, under the federal WARN Act, a plant closing involving 50 or more employees during a 30-day period is a triggering event; while in California, a plant closure affecting any number of employees is a triggering event.