WARN For Businesses

The New York State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires covered businesses to provide early warnings of closures and layoffs to all affected employees, employee representatives, the Department of Labor, and Local Workforce Development Boards.

Additionally, businesses must also give notice to the following entities where the site of employment is located:

• The chief elected official of the unit or units of local government
• The school district or districts where the site of employment is located, and
• Each locality that provides police, firefighting, emergency medical or ambulance services, or other emergency services, to the locale where the site of employment is located

This advanced notice gives employees, their families, and communities time to transition, seek new employment, enter workforce training programs with assistance from the Department of Labor and Local Workforce Development Boards.

If an unexpected event caused your business to close, please provide notice as soon as possible and provide as much information as possible to the Department of Labor when you file your notice about the circumstances of your closure so we can determine if an exception to the WARN Act applies to your situation.

Before you file the WARN, can the Shared Work program help your business? The Shared Work program is designed to help employers manage business cycles and seasonal adjustments while helping to spare their workers the hardships of full unemployment. Learn more at dol.ny.gov/shared-work-program-0

Be sure and review these instructions before submitting notices to the WARN Portal.

WARN Notice Filing Instructions

The most efficient and recommended way to file a WARN submission is to use our newly developed WARN Submission Portal. The portal is accessed by using a personal NY.gov account. If you do not have a personal NY.gov account, you will need to create an account to access the portal. To learn more about NY.gov, please visit my.NY.gov. Be sure to review our filing instructions before you get started to ensure you have everything you need.

If you are unable to utilize the WARN Portal, please email [email protected] for alternative WARN submission options.

If you need modify or retract a previously submitted WARN notice, please email a letter on company letterhead that complies with NYS WARN regulations to [email protected].

Contact your Regional
Rapid Response Coordinator