As more layoffs are announced in the news, it’s a good time for Ohio employers to be sure they are complying with federal and state notice requirements. While many human resource officers are familiar with the federal WARN requirements, they may not realize a new law went into effect in Ohio on September 29, 2025. This mini-WARN law supplements the obligations employers have under federal WARN.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) was passed in 1988 and generally applies to employers with at least 100 employees. WARN requires covered employers to provide at least 60 days’ notice of plant closures and mass layoffs. Employers who do not provide the requisite notice can be liable for back pay, benefits, and penalties. As a result, failing to follow the requirements set by both federal WARN and Ohio’s mini-WARN can be costly.
When it applies and who is covered
Just as with federal WARN, Ohio’s mini-WARN applies when a covered employer foresees a plant closing or mass layoff (affecting 50 or more employees within thirty days). An employer is covered if it has at least 100 employees (excluding certain part‑time employees as defined by the Act), or if it has 100 or more employees in total whose combined weekly hours exceed 4,000, not counting overtime. Notice is required if the employer meets the 4,000-hour threshold and lays off 50 or more employees at a single site within 30 days. Ohio’s statute omits the federal 33% workforce impact test, creating...
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