(a) Purpose of WARN. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
(WARN or the Act) provides protection to workers, their families and community
by requiring employers to provide notification 60 calendar days in advance of
plant closings and mass layoffs. Advance notice provides workers and their families
some transition time to adjust to prospective loss of employment, to seek and
obtain alternative jobs and, if necessary, to enter skill training or retraining
that will allow these workers to successfully compete in the job market. WARN
also provides for notice to State dislocated worker units so that dislocated
worker assistance can be promptly provided.
(b) Scope of WARN regulations. The WARN regulations establish basic definitions
and rules for given notice, implementing the provisions of WARN, The objective
is to establish clear principles and broad guidelines which can be applied in
specific circumstances. However, we do recognize that Federal rulemaking cannot
address the multitude of industry and company-wide specific situations in which
advance notice will be given.