Illinois · Termination · Updated April 2026

Illinois WARN: 60 days notice for plant closings — stricter than federal.

The Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (820 ILCS 65) is stricter than federal WARN: it covers employers with 75 or more full-time employees (federal is 100+) and requires 60 days advance written notice for plant closings or mass layoffs meeting the statutory thresholds. The Illinois Department of Labor enforces. Penalty for non-compliance: back wages plus benefits up to 60 days, plus civil penalties.

Coverage
75+ employees
Notice
60 calendar days
Authority
820 ILCS 65
Active

Illinois WARN Compliance Tracking

Tracks employer coverage at the 75-employee threshold. Identifies events that trigger notice requirements. Surfaces 60-day countdown when triggers approach.

Surface 60-day notice requirement
Block bulk-termination workflow without notice on file
Always running

What those rules do when bulk-termination workflows initiate.

The hero card configuration: Critical on notice surfacing, Block on bulk-termination without notice.

Critical · on notice requirement

When an Illinois employer with 75+ employees initiates a workflow that meets WARN trigger criteria (plant closing 25+ workers, mass layoff 25+ workers if 33%+ of workforce, or 250+ regardless), Teambridge surfaces a Critical indicator with the 60-day countdown.

Block · bulk-termination without notice

If a bulk-termination workflow attempts to execute without 60 days of notice on file (or a documented exemption), the workflow is blocked. The block protects against accidental WARN violations.

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The rule, plainly stated

Stricter than federal — and the threshold gap matters.

Illinois WARN is one of the few state WARN-equivalents that's stricter than federal. The 75-employee coverage threshold pulls in employers federal WARN doesn't reach, and the IL DOL has been an active enforcer.

820 ILCS 65 — Illinois WARN Act: An employer of 75 or more full-time employees in Illinois shall give written notice of any plant closing or mass layoff at least 60 days in advance to affected employees, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the chief elected official of the unit of local government within which the plant closing or mass layoff is to occur, and the Illinois Department of Labor.

Coverage threshold — stricter than federal

Illinois WARN covers employers with 75+ full-time employees in Illinois. Federal WARN covers employers with 100+. So an employer with 75-99 IL employees is covered by IL WARN but not federal — and could violate Illinois law without violating federal. Multi-state employers must track each state's threshold separately.

Trigger events: closings and mass layoffs

Plant closing: shutdown of a single site causing employment loss for 25+ full-time employees in any 30-day period (or 90 days aggregated). Mass layoff: employment loss at a single site of 25+ full-time employees representing 33%+ of the workforce, OR 250+ regardless of percentage. The 25+ mass-layoff trigger is stricter than federal (federal requires 50+).

On autopilot

Teambridge tracks coverage at 75+ and surfaces triggers as bulk-termination workflows initiate.

WARN Act compliance is mostly about NOT missing the trigger conditions. Most violations come from employers who didn't realize a workflow met WARN criteria.

01 · Coverage threshold tracking

75-employee mark monitored.

Teambridge continuously tracks IL employee count. When the headcount reaches or exceeds 75, IL WARN coverage activates. Employers approaching the threshold see advance notice.

02 · Trigger detection

Bulk-termination workflows analyzed.

When a workflow involves termination of multiple workers, Teambridge analyzes whether the cumulative effect crosses WARN thresholds (25+ at a single site, 33% of workforce, or 250+ regardless). 90-day aggregation windows are tracked.

03 · 60-day countdown

Notice timing surfaced visibly.

When a WARN-triggering event is identified, the workflow shows the 60-day notice deadline. Operators can either delay execution or document an exemption.

04 · Notice tracking

Recipients confirmed before execution.

Teambridge tracks whether notice has been issued to all required recipients (employees, IDOL, IDCEO, local elected official). Without confirmation, bulk-termination execution is blocked.

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FAQ

People also ask.

What's the threshold for IL WARN coverage?
75 or more full-time employees in Illinois. This is stricter than federal WARN (100+ employees). An employer with 75-99 IL employees is covered by IL WARN but not federal.
What events trigger the 60-day notice?
Plant closings affecting 25+ full-time employees (or aggregating to 25+ over 90 days), mass layoffs of 25+ if 33%+ of workforce, mass layoffs of 250+ regardless of percentage, or relocations of 50+ miles.
Who has to receive the notice?
Four recipients: (a) affected employees, (b) Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, (c) the chief elected official of the local government, and (d) the Illinois Department of Labor. All four must receive notice; missing any one is a violation.
Are there any exceptions to the 60-day rule?
Three narrow exemptions: (a) faltering company (where notice would have prevented capital infusion), (b) unforeseeable business circumstances (sudden, dramatic, unexpected), (c) natural disaster. Each requires documentation and is a defense, not routine.
Does temporary/seasonal employment count toward 75?
Generally no — the 75 is calculated on full-time employees, defined as workers who work at least 20 hours per week and have been employed at least 6 months in the 12 months preceding the date of notice. Seasonal and temp workers are typically excluded.
What's the penalty for missing WARN?
Back wages and benefits up to 60 days for each affected worker without notice, plus civil penalties up to $500/day per violation. Active IDOL enforcement and private rights of action.
How does Teambridge handle this?
Coverage at 75+ employees is tracked continuously. Bulk-termination workflows are analyzed for WARN triggers including 90-day aggregation. The 60-day countdown surfaces when triggered. Notice issuance to all four required recipients is tracked before execution.