A WARN notice is an employer telling a state labor agency that a qualifying layoff or closing is coming. It is a scheduling disclosure, not a severance offer. It reports a site, a headcount, and an effective date.
It does not say whether severance will be offered, what it will contain, or how individuals were selected. Those answers arrive later, usually with the agreement itself, and that gap is where most of the useful preparation happens.
What the WARN Act requires
The federal WARN Act generally applies to employers with 100 or more employees and requires 60 calendar days of advance written notice for qualifying plant closings and mass layoffs. Notice goes to affected employees or their representatives, to the local chief elected official, and to the state dislocated worker unit. That last recipient is why these filings are public: the state publishes what it receives.
Some states set notice rules of their own that go beyond the federal baseline, and a small number address severance in specific circumstances. Those rules vary enough that the honest answer for any particular state is to check that state's labor department rather than to generalize.
What a filing tells you, and what it does not
| The filing tells you | The filing does not tell you |
|---|---|
| Which site is affected | Which individual roles are included |
| How many positions are covered | How people were selected |
| The effective date | Whether severance will be offered |
| Whether it is a closure or a partial layoff | What any severance agreement will contain |
| Whether the employer marked it temporary | Whether a recall is actually likely |
The asymmetry in that table is the whole point. A filing is generated by a compliance obligation, so it contains what the obligation requires and nothing else. Everything on the right side is a question you have to ask, and the weeks before your last day are the best time to ask them.
Find a filing
Pick a state to see everything filed there, or search for an employer by name. Each filing page sets out what the notice recorded, what that employer has filed before, and what to look at if you are one of the people affected.
1 employer on record. Type at least two letters.
Most recent filings
| Filing | Employer | Notice date | Affected | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara, CAEffective November 13, 2026 | Oracle America, Inc. | September 14, 2026 | 99 | Layoff |
| Redwood City, CAEffective November 13, 2026 | Oracle America, Inc. | September 14, 2026 | 279 | Layoff |
| Santa Clara, CAEffective October 15, 2019 | Oracle America, Inc. | August 15, 2019 | 59 | Layoff |
| Redwood City, CAEffective May 21, 2019 | Oracle America, Inc. | March 21, 2019 | 255 | Layoff |
| Santa Clara, CAEffective May 21, 2019 | Oracle America, Inc. | March 21, 2019 | 97 | Layoff |
| Santa Clara, CAEffective October 31, 2017 | Oracle America, Inc. | August 31, 2017 | 964 | Layoff |
| San Diego, CAEffective October 31, 2017 | Oracle America, Inc. | August 31, 2017 | 54 | Layoff |
| Santa Clara, CAEffective March 20, 2017 | Oracle America, Inc. | January 18, 2017 | 441 | Layoff |
What to do between the filing and your last day
- Ask, in writing, whether your role is included. A filing names a site and a number, not people. A written answer is worth more than a hallway one.
- Ask what the separation package will be, and when you will see it. Knowing the shape of it early is the difference between reading it calmly and reading it against a deadline.
- Write down what you are owed regardless. Accrued but unused PTO where your state or policy provides for payout, expenses not yet reimbursed, commissions or bonus already earned. These are separate from severance and are easy to forget once the agreement arrives.
- Save what is already yours. Your own performance reviews, offer letter, equity documents, and any policy handbook. Access usually ends on the last day.
- Check what is already in place. Whether you previously signed a noncompete, non-solicit, or arbitration agreement changes how a new one reads.
Already have an agreement to read?
The assessment reads your situation against how severance packages are commonly structured, and tells you how the offer looks, what is missing, and what is worth asking for. It is free and takes about four minutes.
If you are 40 or older
Where an employer asks a worker who is 40 or older to waive age discrimination claims as part of a group termination program, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act sets out requirements including a 45-day period to consider the agreement, a 7-day period to revoke after signing, and written disclosure of the job titles and ages of those selected and not selected for the program.
That disclosure matters more than it sounds. In a group termination it is information you would otherwise never see, and an agreement that omits it where it is required may warrant review before you sign.
Common questions
Does a WARN notice mean I am getting severance?
No. Federal law does not require severance pay, and the notice does not say whether any will be offered or what it would contain. A WARN filing and a severance offer are two separate things that often arrive weeks apart.
How much notice does the WARN Act require?
Generally 60 calendar days for qualifying plant closings and mass layoffs, from employers with 100 or more employees. Some states set additional rules that differ in threshold and in length.
My employer filed but I was not named. Am I affected?
The filing reports a site, a headcount, and a date. It does not list individuals. Whether a specific role is included is a question for your employer, and asking for the answer in writing is reasonable.
Where can I see the filing itself?
State labor departments publish the WARN notices they receive, usually as a running list or a downloadable file. That listing is the authoritative record, and it is where the details on this site come from.
This is general information, not legal advice. Severance.help is not a law firm and no attorney-client relationship is created by reading this page. A WARN notice records what an employer told a state agency. It does not establish what any individual worker is owed, and it does not tell you whether a particular severance agreement is reasonable. State law varies considerably, particularly on notice rules, PTO payout, and noncompete enforceability. If your situation involves possible discrimination or retaliation, unpaid wages, a noncompete you cannot work around, or a great deal of money, consult an employment attorney licensed in your state.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, covering employer coverage thresholds, the 60-day advance notice requirement for qualifying plant closings and mass layoffs, and the parties entitled to notice including the state dislocated worker unit.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: severance pay is not required by the Fair Labor Standards Act and is a matter of agreement between employer and employee.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Understanding Waivers of Discrimination Claims in Employee Severance Agreements, covering Older Workers Benefit Protection Act requirements including the 45-day consideration period, the 7-day revocation period, and the disclosure obligations that apply to group termination programs.