In these tough economic times workers across the nation are being laid off in record numbers. From the manufacturing sector to the banking industry, employees are faced with downsizing, workforce reduction, plant closings and mass layoffs.
Federal (and in some cases, state) labor laws require adequate notice be given to workers before a mass layoff, plant closing or worksite shutdown. In fact workers who do not receive government mandated WARN Act Layoff notice prior to their layoff or plant closing are entitled to monetary compensation upon a court's finding the employer failed to properly notify or compensate them.
Affected employees may be eligible to receive monetary compensation equal to sixty days back pay and benefits for their employer's violation of The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (The WARN Act).
Advance notice gives workers and their families some transition time to adjust to the prospective loss of employment, to seek and obtain other jobs, and, if necessary, to enter skill training or retraining that will allow these workers to compete successfully in the job market.
Generally, the WARN Act covers employer companies with 100 or more employees. And
employees entitled to advance notice under the WARN Act include managers and supervisors as well as hourly and salaried workers.
The WARN Act generally covers workers if the job loss occurs as part of:
A plant closing where the employer shuts down a facility or operating unit and lays off at least 50 full-time workers;
A mass layoff where the employer lays off either between 50 and 499 full-time workers at a single site of employment and that number is at least one third of the number of full-time workers at the single site of employment; or
A situation where the employer lays off 500 or more full-time workers at a single site of employment.
For more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Levin Law, please call 1.888.935.2929 or visit http://www.layoffrights.com.
