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State mini-WARN law

California WARN Act and Layoff Notice Requirements

California has its own layoff-notice law in addition to federal WARN. Here's who's covered, how much notice is required, the penalties, where to find official notices, and what employees should do.

Quick answer

California has its own layoff-notice law in addition to federal WARN. The state rule may cover smaller employers, smaller layoffs, longer notice, additional recipients, or different penalties. Whether it applies depends on the employer, worksite, number of affected employees, event type, and timing.

For California: A “covered establishment” that employs, or employed in the preceding 12 months, 75 or more full- and part-time employees. Covered events generally require 60 days' written notice before a covered mass layoff, relocation, or termination.

California WARN notices filed in the last 24 months

Collected directly from California EDD. Each row is a notice the state published, not an estimate — search it by employer to see whether your own company has filed. California files heavily, so this table carries the 750 most recent of 3,026 notices in that period; the 2,276older ones are on the state's own listing.

Filings, last 24 months

3,026

Workers affected

176,044

Employers

1,949

Most recent filing

15 Sep 2026

Showing the 750 most recent of 3,026 filings

California WARN notices from the last 24 months
LocationTypeEffective
15 Sep 2026Full Steam Staffing (2121 Boeing Way)Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation ServicesStocktonSan Joaquin County91Closure4 Nov 2026
15 Sep 2026Full Steam Staffing (4239 Pock Lane)Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation ServicesStocktonSan Joaquin County19Closure4 Nov 2026
14 Sep 2026DesigneRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.ManufacturingVacavilleSolano County7Closure15 Nov 2026
14 Sep 2026Oracle America, Inc.ManufacturingRedwood CitySan Mateo County279Layoff13 Nov 2026
14 Sep 2026Oracle America, Inc.ManufacturingSanta ClaraSanta Clara County99Layoff13 Nov 2026
14 Sep 2026Oracle Pleasanton Campus (Pleasanton Campus)ManufacturingPleasantonAlameda County63Layoff13 Nov 2026
11 Sep 2026LeeMah ElectronicsManufacturingBrisbaneSan Mateo County62Closure21 Dec 2026
10 Sep 2026Fuji Food Products, Inc.ManufacturingSanta Fe SpringsLos Angeles County35Layoff13 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026Sapporo U.S.A. (1999 Citracado Parkway)ManufacturingEscondidoSan Diego County200Closure13 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026Sapporo U.S.A. (2005 Harmony Grove Rd)ManufacturingEscondidoSan Diego County6Closure13 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026Sapporo U.S.A. (2865 Executive Place)ManufacturingEscondidoSan Diego County6Closure13 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026Shell Catalyst & TechnologiesManufacturingMartinezContra Costa County64Closure30 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (1042 Downey Way)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County7Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (1149 S. Hill Street)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County1Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (1150 S. Olive Street)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County5Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (12015 E Waterfront Dr.)Educational ServicesPlaya VistaLos Angeles County8Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (3649 McClintock Ave.)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County21Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (3740 McClintock Ave)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County2Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (4676 Admiralty Way)Educational ServicesMarina Del ReyLos Angeles County15Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (746 W Adams Blvd.)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County1Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (854 Downey Way)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County1Layoff4 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026University of Southern California (941 Bloom Walk)Educational ServicesLos AngelesLos Angeles County4Layoff4 Nov 2026
4 Sep 2026Eggo Company dba KellanovaManufacturingSan JoseSanta Clara County112Closure4 Nov 2026
4 Sep 2026Ruiz Food Products, Inc.ManufacturingDinubaTulare County176Layoff4 Nov 2026
4 Sep 2026SonTek (Xylem, Inc.)ManufacturingSan DiegoSan Diego County36Closure6 Nov 2026

Source: California EDD — official California WARN listing. Covers the last 24 months and is current to 15 Sep 2026. States revise and re-publish their listings, so treat this as a reliable index of what has been filed rather than a legal record — verify any specific notice against the official listing.

When California requires your final paycheck

Where the employer ends the employment, final wages are due immediately in California (Cal. Labor Code §§ 201, 202, 203, 227.3). The state also provides a penalty for late payment.

Final paycheck deadlines and what to do if it is late

At a glance

Status
State mini-WARN law
Covered employer
A “covered establishment” that employs, or employed in the preceding 12 months, 75 or more full- and part-time employees.
Notice period
60 days' written notice before a covered mass layoff, relocation, or termination.
Who must be notified
Affected employees (or their representative, if any); California Employment Development Department (EDD); The Local Workforce Development Area; The chief elected official of each city and county where the event occurs
Official WARN notices
Published (see below)
Enforcement
EDD receives notices; the California Labor Commissioner / courts address remedies. Employees generally file suit for back pay.
Law last verified
Jul 24, 2026
Filings data
Newest notice Sep 15, 2026

Federal WARN vs California

The federal WARN Act is the nationwide baseline: it generally requires 60 days' written notice for a covered plant closing or mass layoff at employers with 100+ employees, with remedies of back pay and benefits enforced through the courts. California's state law can be broader — for example, California WARN Act (Cal-WARN) (California Labor Code §§ 1400–1408). The details below reflect the state rule.

Covered employers, events & thresholds

Covered employer: A “covered establishment” that employs, or employed in the preceding 12 months, 75 or more full- and part-time employees.

mass layoff

A layoff of 50 or more employees at a covered establishment during any 30-day period — with no separate percentage-of-workforce test (stricter than federal WARN).

plant closing

A cessation or substantial cessation of industrial or commercial operations at a covered establishment.

Termination of the establishment's operations.

relocation

Moving all or substantially all of the operations to a different location 100 miles or more away.

Relocation is covered under Cal-WARN.

Notice period: 60 days' written notice before a covered mass layoff, relocation, or termination.

Who must receive notice

Employees

  • Affected employees (or their representative, if any)

Government

  • California Employment Development Department (EDD)
  • The Local Workforce Development Area
  • The chief elected official of each city and county where the event occurs

Find official California WARN notices

EDD publishes a “Listing of Filed WARN Notices,” updated twice weekly (typically Tuesday and Thursday), as downloadable reports. Search the current report for your employer and layoff date.

Open the official CA WARN notices

You can also track recent filings in the LayoffNext WARN Radar — then confirm details against the official CA source above.

Download the CA WARN report

California publishes its notices as a downloadable report rather than a live page, so there is nothing to search until you open the file.

  1. 1Open the agency page and find the current report — these are usually posted per year or per program year, so check which period you need before downloading.
  2. 2Open the file and search inside it for your employer's legal name. A spreadsheet is easier to filter than a PDF; if only a PDF is posted, use the reader's search rather than scrolling.
  3. 3Check whether an older report covers your date. A layoff near a year boundary can sit in the previous file.
  4. 4Keep the downloaded file. Reports are replaced as they are updated, and the version showing your employer may not stay online.

Because the report is a periodic file rather than a live feed, a recent filing may not appear yet even though the state has received it. Absence from the current report is not proof that no notice was filed.

Open the official CA noticesHow federal WARN worksWhat a WARN notice means for you

Penalties & employee remedies

An employer that fails to give required notice is liable to each affected employee for back pay and the value of benefits, and is subject to a civil penalty. Employees generally recover back pay by filing suit.

Back pay

Back pay for each day of the violation, up to a maximum of 60 days (and not more than one-half the number of days the employee was employed).

Benefits

The value of benefits under an employee benefit plan for the violation period.

Civil penalty

A civil penalty of up to $500 for each day of violation may apply (an employer may avoid it by paying affected employees within three weeks).

How to raise it

Employees generally pursue back pay through a civil lawsuit; the EDD and Labor Commissioner provide information.

Major exceptions & special cases

  • Physical calamity or act of war
  • Faltering-company situation where seeking capital or business would have been jeopardized by notice
  • Sudden, unexpected business circumstances outside the employer's control (as recognized under the law)
  • Project completion where employment was understood to be of limited duration

Remote workers

Coverage generally follows the establishment the employee reports to; remote-worker application can be fact-specific — verify with EDD.

Temporary layoffs

Whether a temporary layoff or furlough triggers notice can depend on its expected length and the specific rule — verify with the agency for your situation.

What an employee should do in California

  1. 1Search EDD's Listing of Filed WARN Notices for your employer and layoff date.
  2. 2If you got fewer than 60 days' notice, note the exact notice date and effective date — Cal-WARN back pay is measured per day of violation.
  3. 3Contact your Local Workforce Development Area / EDD Rapid Response for reemployment services.
  4. 4Because California requires filing suit for back pay, consider an employment attorney if you believe notice was short.

California scenarios

A 55-person layoff at one site

Facts: A California employer with 200 employees lays off 55 at one covered establishment in a month.

Cal-WARN's mass-layoff trigger is 50+ at a covered establishment in 30 days with no percentage test — so this can be covered even though it would fall under the federal 33%/500 tests differently. The 60-day notice and California recipients would generally apply.

A relocation 120 miles away

Facts: A company moves substantially all operations to a site 120 miles away.

Unlike federal WARN, Cal-WARN expressly covers relocations of 100+ miles, so 60-day notice can be required even without a headcount reduction.

California WARN Act FAQ

Does California WARN cover a 50-person layoff?+
It can. California's mass-layoff trigger is 50 or more employees laid off at a covered establishment (75+ employees) within a 30-day period, and — unlike federal WARN — there is no separate percentage-of-workforce requirement. Whether it applies still depends on the establishment, the count, and timing, so confirm the details against the statute and EDD guidance.
Does California require 60 days' notice?+
Yes. Cal-WARN generally requires 60 days' advance written notice before a covered mass layoff, relocation, or termination, to affected employees, the EDD, the Local Workforce Development Area, and the chief elected official of the city and county. Certain narrow exceptions can allow shorter notice, but the default is 60 days.
Does California WARN apply when a company relocates?+
Yes, in a way federal WARN does not. Cal-WARN covers a relocation of all or substantially all operations to a location 100 miles or more away, so 60-day notice can be required even without a headcount cut. Confirm the distance and operations against the statute for your situation.
Where can employees find California WARN notices?+
The California EDD publishes a “Listing of Filed WARN Notices,” updated about twice a week (typically Tuesday and Thursday), as downloadable reports on its WARN page. Search the current report for your employer name and the layoff date to see whether a notice was filed.
Can California employees receive back pay for a violation?+
Yes, potentially. If an employer fails to give required notice, it can be liable for back pay for each day of the violation (up to 60 days, subject to a cap tied to length of employment) plus the value of benefits. In California, employees generally recover back pay by filing suit, so consider an attorney if notice was short.
Does California WARN apply to remote employees?+
It can, but application is fact-specific. Coverage generally follows the covered establishment an employee is assigned to or reports to, which is not always obvious for remote workers. If you worked remotely for a California establishment, confirm how your worksite is treated with the EDD and, if needed, an attorney.

Nearby states

California unemployment

Related

All states: WARN Act by stateWhat a WARN notice means for employeesWARN Radar: recent layoff filingsLayoff letter examplesUnemployment benefits in CaliforniaLaid off today? First steps

Sources & methodology

This page summarizes California's layoff-notice rules from official government sources and links to each. Coverage and outcomes depend on the employer, worksite, headcount, event, and timing, and rules can change. Where a specific figure wasn't confirmable this pass, the text says “verify.” Confirm the current rule with the agency and, where rights are at stake, an attorney.

  1. Cal-WARN Act — California Department of Industrial Relations (DLSE)The state statute / legal basis. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026
  2. Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act FAQs — California EDDAgency FAQ guidance. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026
  3. WARN — Layoff Services & Listing of Filed WARN Notices — California EDDWhere official WARN notices are published. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026
  4. Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (federal) — U.S. Department of LaborOfficial agency guidance. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026

Important disclaimer

This page is educational only and is not legal advice or representation, and LayoffNext is not a law firm. Whether WARN applies, and any remedies, depend on the employer, worksite, headcount, event type, timing, and the current law, which can change. Nothing here is a conclusion that an employer did or did not comply. Verify details with the official sources above and consult a qualified attorney about your situation. See our full disclaimer.

Deepak Middha, Founder of LayoffNext
Founder of LayoffNext

Deepak Middha is the founder of LayoffNext and a Chartered Accountant (ICAI, India). A U.S. immigrant with nearly 20 years of experience — and 17 years in hedge fund and private equity administration, including as Vice President of Fund Accounting at NAV Fund Administration Group and Associate Director of Private Equity and Real Estate at SS&C Technologies — he builds free, plain-language layoff tools and guides for employees, H-1B workers, and immigrant families.

Published July 24, 2026Updated July 24, 2026
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