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Plant closings, mass layoffs and reductions in force — Illinois

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) requires employers who anticipate a “plant closing” or “mass layoff” to give at least 60 calendar days advance notice to affected employees. This notice period is intended to provide workers an opportunity to find new employment or obtain job training before their termination. Employers who fail to provide the required notice under WARN are liable for back pay and benefits for the period for which notice was not given, in addition to civil money penalties (with some exceptions). WARN requires covered employers who are planning to anticipate a “plant closing” or “mass layoff” to provide advance notice to affected employees (or bargaining representatives), the state’s agency designated to carry out rapid response activities and the chief elected local government official in which the employment site is located.

Qualifying criteria

WARN applies to any business enterprise employing either 100 or more employees, excluding part-time employees; or 100 or more employees, including part-time employees, who in the aggregate work at least 4,000 hours per week exclusive of overtime. The Illinois "mini" WARN statute applies to businesses with 75 or more employees. Workers on temporary layoff or on leave who have a reasonable expectation of recall are counted as employees. The employer’s size is determined by counting the number of employees on the date on which notice of the layoff or closing would be due, unless that number is not representative of the normal level of employees. For example, if the number of employees on a particular date is higher because of additional seasonal help, then you should use an average number of employees over a recent period of time or choose an alternative date. Regular federal, state and local government entities that provide public services are not covered.

It is important to note that a company and its wholly or partially owned subsidiary may be considered a single employer and thus the number of employees in each company may be combined in determining whether layoffs by both companies trigger WARN notice requirements, even if neither company has 100 employees (or 75 employees for purposes of the Illinois "mini" WARN statute). While WARN does not apply to regular Federal, state, local and federally recognized Indian tribal governments, it does apply to public and quasi-public businesses that are separately organized from the regular government, have their own governing bodies and have independent authority to manage their personnel and assets. WARN also can apply to public and quasi-public entities if they are engaged in business and are organized separately from the regular government. This includes the entity having its own governing body and independent authority to manage its own personnel and assets. Examples may include regional transportation authorities and independent municipal utilities.

Key definitions

For purposes of WARN:

  • A plant closing is:
    • a permanent or temporary shutdown of a single site of employment
    • a shutdown of one or more facilities or operating units within a single site of employment, if the shutdown results in an employment loss during any 30-day period at the single site of employment for 50 or more employees, excluding part-time employees.
  • An employment action that results in the effective cessation of production or the work performed by a unit, even if a few employees remain, is a shutdown.
  • A “mass layoff” is a reduction in force (termination or layoff exceeding six months) that: which is not a plant closing, but which results in an employment loss at a single site of employment for a threshold number of employees. The threshold number will be met if, in any 30-day period, the following numbers of employees that suffer an employment loss as a result of a reduction in force is either:
    • does not result from a plant closing
    • results in an “employment loss” at the single site of employment during any 30-day period for:
      • at least 50-499 employees (25 employees for state law purposes) if they represent at least 33% of the total active employee workforces (excluding part-time employees); or at least 50 employees (excluding part-time employees); or
      • 500 (250 for state law purposes) or more employees (excluding part-time employees) suffer an “employment loss.”
  • An “employment loss” is defined as:
    • a termination (other than discharge for cause, voluntary departure or retirement)
    • a layoff exceeding six months
    • a reduction in hours of work of individual employees of more than 50% during each month of any six-month period.
  • A “part-time employee” is:
    • an employee who is employed for an average of fewer than 20 hours per week
    • who has been employed for fewer than six of the 12 months preceding the date on which notice is required (including workers who work full-time).

This term may include workers who would traditionally be understood as “seasonal” employees. The period to be used for calculating whether a worker has worked an “average of fewer than 20 hours per week” is the shorter of the actual time the worker has been employed or the most recent 90 days.

Notice requirements

Parties notified

“Affected employees” are entitled to notice. The term “affected employees” means those who may reasonably be expected to experience an employment loss as a consequence of a proposed plant closing or mass layoff by their employer. Each employee is entitled to a full 60-day calendar days prior notice, including part-time employees, employees on temporary layoffs who have a reasonable expectation of recall and regular full-time employees. Importantly, although part-time employees are not counted and temporary employees are counted in determining whether a mass layoff or plant closing has occurred, it is part-time employees and not temporary employees who are entitled to notice. Likewise, you must notify any employees on temporary layoff who have an expectation of recall. For example, you must provide notice to employees out on workers’ compensation, medical, maternity or other similar leave.

WARN does not require employers to give notice to those employees that strike or are part of the bargaining unit involved in the labor negotiations that led to a lockout, temporary workers or non-employees assigned to or contracting with, the business.

If employees are represented by a union, written notice must be served upon the chief elected officer of the union or bargaining agent of affected employees at the time of the notice. If this person is not the same as the officer of the local union(s) representing affected employees, it is recommended that a copy also be given to the local union official(s).

The employer also must notify the chief elected official of the unit of local government within which the layoff or closing will occur, as well as the state dislocated worker unit. If more than one unit of local government is involved, the notice must be provided to the chief elected official of the unit to which the company paid the highest taxes in the previous year.

Sale of business

WARN can apply when an employer sells a part of its business or its assets. Whether the seller or the buyer is responsible for giving notice depends on when the plant closing or mass layoff is to occur. Generally, if it occurs before or on the day the sale becomes effective, then the seller is responsible. If it is after the day the sale becomes effective, then the buyer is responsible. In such a case, the buyer would be responsible for providing the full 60– days’ notice. If the seller knew of the buyer’s intentions and was empowered to give notice as the buyer’s agent, it could give notice on behalf of the buyer. Even so, under WARN, responsibility would remain with the buyer. If an employee is offered, but refuses, employment with the buyer, this is considered a voluntary departure and does not constitute an employment loss. However, this situation could constitute constructive discharge if employment with the buyer would result in a significant change in wages, benefits, working conditions or position and, as a result, trigger the notice requirement.

For purposes of WARN, if employees of the seller become employees of the buyer and did not suffer an employment loss where employees were idled or deprived of income, notice obligations are not triggered. However, if a plant closing or mass layoff results from the sale, then WARN would apply. Given the complexities of this analysis, employers should consult with legal counsel to determine their notice requirements in the event of a sale or purchase of a business.

Required notification period reduced

WARN provides for three situations in which the notification period may be less than 60 days. An employer qualifying for one of the following reductions in the 60-day notification period must provide as much notice as practicable under the circumstances. Also, the notice must contain a brief statement summarizing the reason(s) why giving the normal 60 days of notice was not possible.

Natural disasters

Under the natural disaster exception, an employer may give less than 60-days’ notice of a plant closing or mass layoff that results from a natural disaster such as a flood, earthquake, drought, storm, tidal wave or tsunamis or similar effects of nature. The employer can give notice after the event if it can establish that the closing or layoff is a direct result of the natural disaster. Where a plant closing or mass layoff occurs as an indirect result of a natural disaster, this exception does not apply, but the unforeseeable business circumstances exception described below may be applicable.

Faltering company

The faltering company exception is to be construed narrowly and applies only to plant closings; it does not apply to mass layoffs. Under the faltering company exception, the notice period may be reduced if all of the following criteria are met:

  • the employer was actively seeking capital or business at the time that the 60-day notice would have been required
  • there must have been a realistic opportunity to obtain the financing or business sought
  • the financing or business sought must have been sufficient, if obtained, to have enabled the employer to avoid or postpone the shutdown
  • the employer reasonably in good faith believed that giving notice would have precluded the employer from obtaining the needed capital or business.

However, should an employer attempt to rely on the faltering company exception, it will not be able to restrict its analysis to the financial condition of the facility, operating unit or site to be closed. In addition, a causal connection must exist between the ultimate plant closing and the employer’s failure to obtain capital or business.

Unforeseeable business circumstances

The unforeseeable business circumstances exception is intended to apply to situations where a plant closing or mass layoff is caused by some “sudden, dramatic and unexpected” event that, at the time notice would otherwise have been due, was both:

  1. not reasonably foreseeable
  2. outside the employer’s control.

In order to be reasonably foreseeable, the event must have been probable (not possible) – that is, when the objective facts reflect that the plant closing or mass layoff was more likely than not. This inquiry is fact-specific and turns on whether the employer, in failing to anticipate the circumstances that caused the closing or layoff, exercised the same business judgment as would a similarly situated employer facing the same situation. Examples of such situations would include the unexpected termination of a major contract, a strike at the business of a major supplier or an unannounced government-ordered closing.

Extension of layoff period

If an employer needs to extend the date of the plant closing or mass layoff beyond the date or the ending date of any 14-day period announced in the original notice, additional notice is required. This notice should contain the following:

  • If the action is postponed for less than 60 days, it should reference the earlier notice, the reason for postponement and the new anticipated date (or 14-day period) to which the planned action is postponed. The notice must be given as soon as possible and in a manner that-will provide the information to all affected employees.
  • If the action is postponed for 60 days or more, the employer must give a new notice that complies with the normal 60-day notice requirements.

Aggregation of employment losses

Employment losses of smaller groups of employees occurring at one employment site may be combined in certain situations. In order for the requisite number of employment losses to trigger WARN obligations, these employment losses must occur during any “rolling” 30-day period. For example, if an employer with 100 employees lays off 40 workers and then lays off the remaining 20 workers 25 days later, the 50-employee threshold has been met and WARN would apply. Notice would be required for both sets of employees. Under some circumstances the 30-day window is enlarged to 90 days. Once the 50-employee threshold is met, the 30-day window period closes. Then, if additional employment losses occur at a single site of employment within 90 days, the groups may be aggregated even if the later layoffs alone are not large enough to trigger WARN obligations. For example, the employer should look ahead 90 days and behind 90 days to determine whether employment actions both taken and planned (each of which separately is not of sufficient size to trigger WARN coverage) will, in the aggregate for any 90-day period, reach the minimum numbers for a plant closing or a mass layoff and thus trigger the notice requirements.

An employer is not required to give notice if it can show that the individual events occurred as a result of separate and distinct actions and causes and not the employer’s attempt to evade its obligations under WARN. Therefore, when an employer makes a reduction in force, it must look forward and backward 90 days from each employment loss to determine whether WARN is triggered, obligations arise and notice must be given.

Giving notice

Notice must be delivered in a reasonable manner such that affected employees will receive the written notice at least 60 days before separation. Neither preprinted notices included in each employee’s paycheck or pay envelope nor verbal notices meet these requirements. Conversely, first-class mail and personal delivery are viable options or any other reasonable method of delivery that is designed to ensure receipt 60 days before a closing or layoff is acceptable. If the notice is mailed, it is not effective until it is received.

What the notice should contain

Affected employees

Written notice to employees who are not represented by a bargaining agent must contain the following information:

  • whether the planned action is expected to be permanent or temporary and, if the entire plant is to be closed
  • the expected date the plant closing or mass layoff will commence, as well as the date that the affected employee will be separated (or set forth a 14-day period during which the terminations will occur)
  • an indication as to whether or not bumping rights exist
  • the name and telephone number of a company official who can be reached for further information.

Notice to individual employees must be written in clear and specific language such that employees can easily understand the terms.

Representatives of affected employees

Written notice must be served upon the bargaining agent/chief elected officer of each the exclusive collective bargaining representative(s) or bargaining agent(s) of affected union employees or local union official and must contain the following information at the time of the notice:

  • the name and address of the employment site where the plant closing or mass layoff will occur and the name and telephone number of a company official who can be reached for further information
  • whether the planned action is expected to be permanent or temporary and, if a plant is being closed
  • the expected date of the first separation and the anticipated layoff schedule if the layoffs are to occur on more than one date
  • the job titles of the positions that are to be affected and the names of the workers currently holding those positions.

State dislocated worker unit and local chief elected official

Notice to the State Rapid Response Dislocated Worker Unit and local chief elected official of the unit must contain:

  • the name and address of the employment site where the plant closing or mass layoff will occur and the name and telephone number of a company official who can be reached for further information
  • whether the planned action is expected to be permanent or temporary and, if a plant is being closed, the notice must include a statement to that effect
  • the expected date of the first separation and the anticipated layoff schedule if the layoffs are to occur on more than one date (or a 14-day period during which all layoffs will occur)
  • the job titles of the positions that are to be affected and the number of affected employees in each job classification
  • an indication as to whether or not bumping rights exist
  • the name of each union representing affected employees and the name and address of the chief elected officer of such union.

Alternatively, WARN regulations also provide for a short form notice to the State Rapid Response Dislocated Worker Unit and to the chief local elected official. This alternative short form notice must be in writing and must provide the following information:

  • the name and address of the employment site where the plant closing or mass layoff will occur
  • the name and telephone number of a company official to contact for further information
  • the expected date of the first separation
  • the number of affected employees.

If the employer provides this alternative short form notice, the employer also must make available to government officials the information that would have been included in the full notice. A failure to provide the necessary information upon request is deemed a failure to give the required notice.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The speed with which businesses reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly in compliance with emergency declarations requiring non-life sustaining businesses to cease physical operations will no doubt serve as a defense to claims based on the failure to provide the 60-days’ advance notice ordinarily required by WARN. But even when the original decision to close or engage in a mass layoff is unforeseen at the outset, businesses must still provide WARN notices as soon as practicable. As COVID-19 cases increase in a second wave, many businesses may be hit with new reasons to curtail their operations. They need to be vigilant about providing WARN notifications “as soon as practicable” if new shutdowns occur.

Enforcement

Civil actions

A worker who experiences a loss of employment without timely notice of mass layoff or plant closing as required by WARN can bring a lawsuit against the employer. The employer is liable for back pay for each day of violation at a rate of compensation determined by the statute. In addition, the employer may be liable for benefits under employee benefit plans, including medical expenses incurred during the employment loss which would have been covered by the benefit plan had the employment loss not occurred.

Jurisdictional provision

Lawsuits against an employer may be brought by a local government, employees or the representatives of employees. An employer can be sued in any federal district in which it does business or where the violation occurred.

Maximum liability

An employer is liable to an employee for the period of the violation, up to a maximum of 60 days, but not to exceed more than one-half of the number of days the employee worked for the employer. Employer liability for failing to conform to the act’s notice requirements with respect to a unit of local government is limited to $500 per day for each day of violation, up to the ceiling of 60 days.

The remedies provided for in WARN are the exclusive remedies for any violation of the act. Federal courts have no power to prohibit or postpone mass layoffs or plant closings.

Reducing liability

The amount of liability must be reduced by any wages or benefits paid to employees during the period of violation and by any “voluntary and unconditional payment” by the employer to the employee that is not required by any legal obligation. Thus, although WARN does not specifically allow pay in lieu of notice, as it would defeat the purpose of WARN, an employer can preclude relief if the employer provides full pay and benefits for the 60-day period. An employer cannot offset its WARN obligations with payments that already were due, such as, severance payments that are required by contract or company policies. The employer’s liability also may be reduced at the discretion of the court, if the employer proves to the satisfaction of the court that the act or omission that violated WARN was in good faith and the employer had reasonable grounds for believing that the act or omission was not a violation of the Act.

Recovering attorney’s fees and costs

A prevailing party in a lawsuit filed under WARN may, in the discretion of the court, recover reasonable costs and attorney’s fees.

More laws covering plant closings/mass layoffs

In addition to obligations under WARN, some states and municipalities have adopted plant closing or mass layoff laws. None of these laws can reduce an employer’s obligation under WARN, but they may place additional obligations on employers covered by WARN. Moreover, these laws may place the same or additional obligations imposed by WARN on employers not covered by WARN.

Where to go for more information

The Department of Labor has published WARN compliance assistance materials, including the Worker’s Guide to Advance Notice of Closings and Layoffs and the Employer’s Guide to Advance Notice of Closings and Layoffs, which are available on the U.S. Department of Labor’s website at:

or contact the DOL at:

WARN Information Line
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Office of Policy Development and Research
Division of Policy, Legislation and Regulations
200 Constitution Ave., NW
Room N5641
Washington DC, 20210
Phone: (202) 693-3079
Email: Warn.Inquiries@dol.gov

Additional information about requirements applicable in Illinois to employers with 75 or more employees can be found here: