The California WARN Act:
WARN Act Attorneys

What is the California WARN Act?

In January 2003, the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) was established, expanding on the requirements of the Federal WARN Act. Both the California and Federal WARN Acts protect workers in the event of a covered mass layoff, plant closing, or relocation by requiring employers to give 60 days notice to affected employees. This advance notice gives employees the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere, or to make other preparations in response to the upcoming layoff.

Several other states also have their own "mini" version of the Federal WARN Act. For more information please see the Illinois WARN Act, the New Jersey WARN Act, and the New York WARN Act.

What are my rights under the California WARN Act?

The California WARN Act differs from the Federal WARN Act in a number of ways ways. For example:

• The California WARN Act applies to layoffs that affect 50 or more employees within a 30-day period. Unlike the Federal WARN Act, the California WARN Act does not require the laid-off employees to constitute a certain percentage of the total work force.
  
  
• The California WARN Act applies to businesses with 75 or more employees, while the Federal WARN Act applies to businesses with 100 or more employees.
  
  
• Unlike the Federal WARN Act, the WARN Act applies to part-time employees in addition to full-time employees.

What should I do if I believe my former employer violated the California WARN Act?

If you believe that you or your colleagues were denied the notification required by the WARN Act, or that your employee rights have otherwise been violated, please fill out the form to the right or call us at (866) 981-4800 for a free consultation with a WARN Act attorney.

WARN Act Class Action Lawsuits Update

SPANSION WARN ACT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

Girard Gibbs filed class action lawsuit on behalf of terminated Spansion employees. To learn more about the case and receive updates regarding the status of the case, please visit our Spansion WARN Act Class Action page.

FLEETWOOD WARN ACT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

Girard Gibbs filed class action lawsuit on behalf of terminated Fleetwood Enterprises employees. To learn more about the case and receive updates regarding the status of the case, please visit our Fleetwood Enterprises WARN Act Class Action page.

Important Note: This summary is intended to provide a basic overview of the typical types of employment cases handled by our firm. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Why Girard Gibbs LLP?

Girard Gibbs is a national litigation firm specializing in securities litigation, consumer class actions and complex business litigation. Girard Gibbs' managing partner Daniel Girard was voted one of Northern California's Super Lawyers in 2007, 2008, and 2009 by Law & Politics, recognizing him as one of the top 5-percent of attorneys practicing in Northern California.