Governor Newsom has signed Senate Bill (SB) 617, which expands the information employers are required to include under the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (CalWARN). Employers are now required to state whether they plan to coordinate services for affected employees through the local workforce development board (LWDB), another entity, or not at all. Regardless of their choice, employers must provide the LWDB's contact information and a description of its services in the notice.
The new requirements under SB 617 will take effect January 1, 2026.
Employers should remember that CalWARN imposes broader and more stringent requirements than federal WARN. While federal WARN applies to employers with 100 or more full-time employees, CalWARN covers establishments with as few as 75 employees, including part-time staff.
CalWARN also triggers notice obligations for a wider range of events: it requires 60 days' advance notice for any plant closures, layoffs of 50 or more employees, regardless of workforce percentage, and relocations of at least 100 miles affecting any number of employees. In contrast, federal WARN only applies to plant closings or mass layoffs involving 50 or more employees and, in some cases, only if they constitute at least 33% of the workforce at a site of employment.
Additionally, CalWARN mandates notice to more local entities, including the LWDB and city and county officials, whereas federal WARN requires notice to employees, their representatives, the state dislocated worker unit, and the chief local elected government official.
The exceptions available under CalWARN are also more limited than those available under federal WARN.
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