New York · Termination · Updated April 2026

90 days advance notice. 50+ employee threshold. Lower triggers than federal.

New York's WARN Act is more stringent than federal. It applies to employers with 50+ employees (vs. federal 100+), requires 90 days of advance notice (vs. federal 60), and triggers at lower layoff thresholds — 25 employees if 33% of workforce, or 250 employees regardless of percentage. NY-WARN also covers relocations 50+ miles away. Penalties: $500 per day per affected worker for failing to provide notice.

Threshold
50+ employees
Notice
90 days
Penalty
$500/day/worker
Active

NY-WARN Act Compliance

Tracks employer-size threshold (50+ employees in NYS). Detects layoff/closure events that trigger WARN. Generates compliant 90-day notices to affected workers, unions, government officials, and school districts.

Critical · layoff event triggers WARN coverage
Block · termination without 90-day notice in WARN-covered event
Always running

What the rule does for layoffs and closures.

The hero card configuration: Critical on event detection, Block on termination without notice. Here's what each does at runtime.

Critical · WARN-covered event detected

When a planned layoff or closure approaches WARN thresholds (25 employees + 33% workforce, or 250+ employees, or plant closing affecting 25+, or relocation 50+ miles), Teambridge surfaces a Critical alert. Coverage analysis is provided.

Block · termination without 90-day notice

In a WARN-covered event, terminations cannot proceed without 90 days of documented advance notice. Notice text, distribution date, and recipient list (workers, union, local elected official, school district) all required.

Skip the configuration

Deploy NY-WARN compliance in your Teambridge.

Tell us about your workforce. We'll spin up NY-WARN coverage tracking and notice generation — in a sandbox tenant.

Or book a 30-min walkthrough. We respond within 4 business hours.

The rule, plainly stated

50+ employees, 90 days notice, four trigger types.

NY-WARN's lower thresholds and longer notice period catch many employers who think they're too small or have too long a runway to comply.

NY Labor Law §§ 860-860-i and 12 NYCRR Part 921: An employer with 50 or more full-time employees in this state shall give 90 days written notice prior to: (a) a plant closing affecting 25 or more full-time employees; (b) a mass layoff affecting 25 or more full-time employees if such layoff constitutes 33% or more of the workforce at a single site; (c) a mass layoff affecting 250 or more full-time employees regardless of percentage; (d) a covered reduction in work hours of 50% or more for 6+ consecutive months; (e) a covered relocation of substantially all operations to a site more than 50 miles away.

Threshold = 50+ NYS full-time employees

Coverage applies to employers with 50+ full-time employees in NYS. Part-time workers (under 20 hours/week) generally don't count toward the threshold but may still be entitled to notice if affected. NY counts the entire corporate structure — divided entities don't escape coverage.

Four trigger types

(1) Plant closing: shutdown of a single site affecting 25+ employees. (2) Mass layoff: 25+ employees if 33% of workforce, OR 250+ employees regardless. (3) Reduction in hours: 50%+ for 6+ consecutive months. (4) Relocation: substantial operations moved 50+ miles away. Any trigger requires 90-day notice.

On autopilot

Teambridge detects WARN-covered events and generates compliant notices.

WARN compliance is structurally simple but operationally easy to miss — especially the relocation rule and the hour-reduction rule, which catch employers off-guard.

01 · Coverage analysis at event

Threshold + trigger detection.

When a layoff or restructuring is planned, Teambridge analyzes coverage: employer size threshold (50+ NYS) and trigger type (plant closing, mass layoff, hour reduction, relocation). Coverage decision documented.

02 · 90-day countdown clock

Notice deadline tracked.

Once a WARN event is identified, the 90-day notice deadline is tracked. The system shows the planned termination date vs. notice deadline. Late notice = penalty exposure surfaced.

03 · Notice generation

All recipients covered.

Compliant notice text generated for affected workers, union, local elected official, school district, and Workforce Investment Board. Distribution logged.

04 · Exception handling

Faltering company / unforeseeable circumstance / disaster.

Three federal-style exceptions reduce notice (faltering company, unforeseeable business circumstances, natural disaster). Each requires documented justification — not assumed compliance.

Free · No commitment

Still evaluating? Get a free New York compliance audit.

Send us your existing New York scheduling and pay configuration. Our compliance team returns a written audit within 5 business days — every New York-specific exposure ranked by risk and back-pay liability.

FAQ

People also ask.

What's NY-WARN's threshold?
50+ full-time NYS employees. Federal WARN's threshold is 100+ employees. NY catches more employers because of the lower threshold.
How much advance notice is required?
90 days — 30 more than federal WARN's 60-day requirement. The notice goes to affected workers (or union), the local elected official of the unit of government where the site is located, the school district, the local Workforce Investment Board, and NYSDOL's Rapid Response Unit.
What counts as a 'mass layoff' under NY-WARN?
Two paths: (1) 25+ employees laid off if they represent 33%+ of the workforce at a single site, OR (2) 250+ employees laid off regardless of percentage. Either trigger requires 90-day notice.
Does NY-WARN cover relocations?
Yes. NY-WARN specifically covers relocations of substantial operations to a site more than 50 miles away — even if the company continues operating. Federal WARN doesn't address relocations directly.
Are there exceptions?
Three federal-style exceptions: faltering company (plant closings only, where employer is actively seeking capital), unforeseeable business circumstances, and natural disasters. Each requires documented justification — not just claimed.
What's the penalty for failing to provide notice?
Back wages and benefits for the period of violation (up to 90 days), plus civil penalties of $500 per day per affected worker. For a 50-worker layoff with no notice, exposure exceeds $2 million in penalties plus the back-wages.