WARN Notices

Notify Us of the Layoff

Federal law, known as the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act or WARN Act, offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of plant closings, mass layoffs and/or sale of a business. 

Employers that are reducing their workforce, conducting layoffs, or closing their businesses and have between 50-99 employees affected are typically required to report this information via a WARN filing to the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.  For more detailed information, please review T.C.A. 50-1-601.

To View Notices, click button above or click here. To File Notices, click button above or click here.

Differences in Federal and State Laws

The Tennessee law is very similar to the Federal WARN Act; however, there are some important differences between the two laws. Federal WARN - Applies to employers with 100 or more full-time workers. 

Definition of “Mass Layoff” triggering notice requirements:

  • 50 or more full-time employees are laid off if they constitute one-third or more of the full-time employees at the site, or
  • 500 or more full-time employees.

Tennessee WARN Act Technical Assistance Guide - Tennessee’s “Plant Closing and Reduction in Operations” Act, applies to employers employing at least 50 but not more than 99 employees. 

Employees entitled to notice under WARN include hourly and salaried workers, as well as managerial and supervisory employees.

(1)  The name and address of the plant;                        
(2)  The name and address of a contact person;                    
(3)  The date of the layoff or schedule of layoffs, or the date of the closure;
(4)  Whether the planned action is permanent or temporary;            
(5)  The job titles of the positions to be eliminated;                
(6)  The number of employees affected;                
(7)  Whether bumping rights exist;                    
(8)  The name of unions representing affected employees if applicable;
(9)  The name and address of the chief elected officer of each union representing affected employees if applicable; and
(10)  Whether the entire plant will close.

WARN notices should be sent in writing to the following:

  1. Official union(s) representing the employees (if applicable); or, if not represented, Each affected employee,
  2. Chief elected official of local government, and
  3. Tennessee Department of Labor - Dislocated Worker Unit
    220 French Landing Drive, Suite 4B
    Nashville, Tennessee 37245-0658
    (615) 253-6355 | (800) 255-5872

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