Massachusetts WARN Act and Layoff Notice Requirements
Federal WARN sets the layoff-notice rules in Massachusetts. Here's how it works, where MA publishes WARN notices, the Rapid Response help available, and what employees should do.
No separate general state mini-WARN law was identified through the official sources reviewed as of July 24, 2026. Covered layoffs may still fall under the federal WARN Act (generally 60 days' notice at employers with 100+ employees).
Private lawsuit in federal district court. MassHire Rapid Response (EOLWD) receives or publishes WARN notices and may provide Rapid Response services.
Recent Massachusetts notices in our national tracker
8 filings from Massachusetts appear in the most recent national WARN data we track, refreshed Sep 18, 2026. This is a recent slice, not a complete MA record — the official state list below is the authoritative source for whether your employer filed.
| Employer | Location | Workers | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metri BWI, LLC | Leominster | 25 | 09/09/2026 |
| TScan Therapeutics Inc. dba TScan | Waltham | 96 | 09/02/2026 |
| P1 Logistics LLC | Littleton | 77 | 08/24/2026 |
| Noble Equity Holdings LLC, Noble.com, LLC, Noble Supply & Logistics, LLC (f/k/a Noble Sales Co. Inc.), Tactical & Survival Specialties, LLC (f/k/a Tactical & Survival Specialties, Inc.), Federal Resource Supply Company, LLC (f/k/a Federal Resource Supply Company), and K.D. Analytical Consulting, LLC (aka Noble) | Boston | 59 | 08/17/2026 |
| *Updated* Thermo Fisher Scientific | Franklin | 15 | 08/13/2026 |
| Postal Center International, Inc. (aka PCI) | Franklin | 112 | 08/13/2026 |
| *Updated* EMD Serono Research Development Institute, Inc. | Billerica | 20 | 08/12/2026 |
| SMBC Manubank (aka JeniusBank) | Remote | 3 | 08/11/2026 |
When Massachusetts requires your final paycheck
Where the employer ends the employment, final wages are due day of discharge in Massachusetts (Mass. Gen. Laws c.149 § 148). The state also provides a penalty for late payment.
Final paycheck deadlines and what to do if it is lateAt a glance
Federal WARN vs Massachusetts
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. Massachusetts does not add a separate general layoff-notice law, so federal WARN is the governing standard here.
Who must receive notice
Employees
- Affected employees or their representative (federal WARN)
Government
- MassHire Rapid Response (EOLWD)
- Chief elected local official (federal WARN)
Find official Massachusetts WARN notices
Massachusetts (Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development / MassHire) publishes WARN layoff and closure updates. Open the Mass.gov WARN updates page to review filings.
Open the official MA WARN noticesYou can also track recent filings in the LayoffNext WARN Radar — then confirm details against the official MA source above.
Browse the MA notice list
Massachusetts posts notices as a web page rather than a searchable database, so you are scanning rather than querying.
- 1Open the notices page and use your browser's find function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) on your employer's legal name.
- 2Check whether the page is split by year — older filings often move to a separate archive page that the find function will not reach.
- 3Compare the notice date against your own last day. A notice filed after you were told is a different situation from one filed weeks before.
- 4Save a copy of the entry, since these pages are edited in place.
Penalties & employee remedies
Because Massachusetts has no statute of its own, the remedies are federal: back pay and benefits for the violation period, plus a possible civil penalty payable to local government.
Back pay
Back pay and benefits for each day of violation, capped at the lesser of 60 days or one-half the days the employee worked.
Civil penalty
Up to $500 per day to the local government, avoidable if the employer pays affected employees within three weeks of ordering the layoff.
How to raise it
There is no Massachusetts agency complaint route for a federal WARN shortfall — it is pursued in court. Separately, MassHire Rapid Response (EOLWD) provides Rapid Response and reemployment services regardless of whether WARN applied.
Major exceptions & special cases
- Federal WARN's three exceptions apply — faltering company, unforeseeable business circumstances, and natural disaster. Massachusetts adds none.
Remote workers
Federal WARN follows the single site of employment, which for a remote worker is often the site they report to rather than their home. Fact-specific.
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 Massachusetts
- 1Check the MA WARN list to see whether your layoff was reported. Massachusetts (Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development / MassHire) publishes WARN layoff and closure updates. Open the Mass.gov WARN updates page to review filings.
- 2Contact MassHire Rapid Response (EOLWD) for Rapid Response and reemployment help — this is available whether or not WARN applied to your layoff.
- 3Confirm your Massachusetts final-paycheck deadline and file your Massachusetts unemployment claim; both run on their own clocks, independent of WARN.
- 4If notice looks short, evaluate it under federal WARN with an attorney — it is enforced in court, not by an agency.
Massachusetts scenarios
Finding a Massachusetts WARN filing
Facts: You want to confirm whether your employer filed a notice.
Massachusetts (Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development / MassHire) publishes WARN layoff and closure updates. Open the Mass.gov WARN updates page to review filings. Search the current list for your employer's name and the reported dates.
A large Massachusetts layoff with no notice
Facts: A Massachusetts employer cuts a large share of one site without advance notice.
With no state statute, the only question is whether federal WARN applied — the site headcount and the 33%/500 tests decide it. If it did and notice was short, the remedy is federal back pay pursued in court. MassHire Rapid Response (EOLWD) can help either way.
Massachusetts WARN Act FAQ
Does Massachusetts have a mini-WARN law?+
Where does Massachusetts publish WARN notices?+
Who do I contact in Massachusetts after a layoff?+
What can a Massachusetts employee do if no notice was given?+
Does a Massachusetts employer have to give 60 days' notice?+
Does WARN cover a remote employee living in Massachusetts?+
Nearby states
Massachusetts unemploymentRelated
Sources & methodology
This page summarizes Massachusetts'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.
- WARN layoff and closure updates — Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce DevelopmentWhere official WARN notices are published. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026
- Submit a WARN notice — Massachusetts EOLWDOfficial agency guidance. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026
- 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 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.