Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)

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Workforce
Iowa's WARN Notifications

See Visualization: WARN Notices in Iowa

View a log of all WARN notifications issued in Iowa, in a data visualization.

View WARN Data
Visualization of WARN Notifications issued in Iowa

WARN Act

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to give 60 calendar days' written notice when there is a plant closing or mass layoff. This protects workers, their families, and communities. The notice provides employees time to prepare for the potential loss of their jobs, find new employment, and, if necessary, enroll in training.

If your business is considering layoffs, you must notify:

  • Affected workers or their representatives (e.g., a labor union).
  • Iowa's State Rapid Response Coordinator.
  • The chief elected official of local government in which the employment site is located.

WARN Data

A log of the notifications issued in Iowa can be downloaded in Excel format (through the link at the top of the page) or viewed directly in the dashboard/visualization linked above. 

Iowa WARN

The Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (Iowa WARN) Act ensures that employers with 25 or more employees give notice 30 calendar days in advance of a plant closure or mass layoff.

Read a comparison of Iowa WARN and the Federal Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

IWD urges employers to provide advance notice of any upcoming layoffs, even when the WARN does not require it. Notifying workers and engaging with your local IowaWORKS Center can help workers access programs that can help them transition to other jobs.

Services

Any decision to reduce or eliminate a portion of your company’s workforce is difficult.  Iowa Workforce Development provides a number of services for dislocated workers through our  IowaWORKS Centers, including  Rapid Response Services and Trade Act Benefits. These services are provided at no cost to our customers. They are completed alongside the employer and activated when your company completes its responsibilities under the Iowa WARN or the Federal WARN Act.

For questions and issuances of WARN notifications, please contact the State Rapid Response Coordinator.