Tennessee WARN Act and Layoff Notice Requirements

At a glance

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. Tennessee's state law can be broader — for example, Tennessee Plant Closing and Reduction in Operations law (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 50-1-601 to 50-1-604). The details below reflect the state rule.

Covered employer: Employers with at least 50 but not more than 99 full-time employees within Tennessee (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-601), filling the gap below federal WARN's 100-employee coverage.

Notice period: None prescribed by the state statute. Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-602(a) requires only that, upon notifying affected employees of a reduction in operations, the employer telephone the commissioner of labor and workforce development and report the circumstances and the number of employees affected. Current Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development guidance uses WARN-style written filing procedures, and some agency materials reference a 60-day notice period. The Tennessee statute covering the 50–99 employee band does not itself separately prescribe a 60-day state notice period, so employers should follow current TDLWD filing instructions in addition to determining whether federal WARN applies. Where an employer has 100 or more employees, federal WARN governs and carries its own 60-calendar-day notice requirement for covered events, subject to statutory exceptions.

Who must receive notice

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development posts WARN notices on its website. Open the Tennessee WARN notices page and review the current list for your employer.

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

None in the statute. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 50-1-601 to 50-1-604 create a notification duty but no penalty, no enforcement mechanism and no private right of action — § 50-1-604 only directs the commissioner to promulgate rules. An employee whose employer has 100 or more employees is covered by federal WARN instead, which does carry a remedy of back pay and benefits for up to 60 days.

Major exceptions & special cases

• The statute sets out no exceptions because it sets out no advance-notice period to except from. Where an employer has 100 or more employees, federal WARN governs and its three exceptions (faltering company, unforeseeable business circumstances, natural disaster) apply.

What an employee should do in Tennessee

1. 1Confirm your employer's size first — it decides which framework you are under. 50–99 full-time employees is the Tennessee statute; 100 or more is federal WARN.
2. 2If your employer has 100 or more employees, work from federal WARN: 60 days' notice, and back pay plus benefits for up to 60 days where it was not given.
3. 3If your employer is in the 50–99 band, do not build a plan around a state notice claim — the statute sets no advance-notice period and gives you no remedy. Redirect to how people were selected, and to your final pay and unemployment claim.
4. 4Check the Tennessee WARN notices page for your employer either way; a filed notice establishes the date, the site and the number affected.

Tennessee scenarios

Tennessee WARN Act FAQ

Nearby states

• Alabama WARN notices
• Arkansas WARN notices
• Florida WARN notices
• Georgia WARN notices
• Kentucky WARN notices
• Louisiana WARN notices

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