On March 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an order suspending the 60-day notice requirement under the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act). Employers must still provide written notice as soon as practicable with a statement of why the notification period was reduced and include information for obtaining unemployment insurance benefits. This notice-requirement suspension is limited to business circumstances related to COVID-19.
The California WARN Act applies to employers with 75 or more full-time employees who have been employed for at least six months of the previous 12 months.
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has released COVID-19: WARN FAQs for employers.
Read more about the Temporary Exception to WARN Act for COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the HR Library.