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State mini-WARN law

Washington WARN Act and Layoff Notice Requirements

Washington 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

Washington 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 Washington: Employers with 50 or more employees (as defined in Ch. 49.45 RCW). The covered event is a business closing or mass layoff affecting 50 or more workers at a single site. Covered events generally require 60 days' written notice before a covered mass layoff or business closing.

Washington WARN notices filed in the last 24 months

Collected directly from Washington ESD. Each row is a notice the state published, not an estimate — search it by employer to see whether your own company has filed.

Filings, last 24 months

242

Workers affected

53,267

Employers

181

Most recent filing

16 Sep 2026

Showing all 242 filings

Washington WARN notices from the last 24 months
LocationTypeEffective
16 Sep 2026Pacific Ag Services LLCGrant and Franklin Counties530Layoff15 Nov 2026
15 Sep 2026Loftus Administrative Services LLCYakima County376Layoff15 Nov 2026
14 Sep 2026Blue Cascade OrchardsYakima, Okanogan, Franklin, Grant, Adams, Walla Walla, and Benton Counties792Layoff20 Nov 2026
14 Sep 2026Oracle America, Inc.Seattle359Layoff13 Nov 2026
11 Sep 2026Monson Ranches Snake River Orchards LLCBenton City, Burbank172Layoff18 Nov 2026
11 Sep 2026Young's Market Company of Washington LLCAuburn33Layoff7 Nov 2026
10 Sep 2026Legendary Fruit CoYakima, Wapato1,220Layoff10 Nov 2026
9 Sep 2026Cascade View Fruit & Cold Storage, LLCSelah259Layoff15 Nov 2026
8 Sep 2026MultiCare Health SystemStatewide138Layoff27 Oct 2026
3 Sep 2026Gilbert Orchards, Inc.Yakima, Franklin and Grant Counties518Layoff22 Nov 2026
2 Sep 2026Qualtrics LLCSeattle117Layoff18 Oct 2026
2 Sep 2026Sundquist Fruit, LLCYakima and Franklin Counties243Layoff15 Nov 2026
2 Sep 2026Uber Technologies IncSeattle93Layoff2 Nov 2026
1 Sep 2026Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLCTacoma120Closure30 Oct 2026
31 Aug 2026AmazonSeattle, Bellevue, Sumner121Layoff1 Oct 2026
31 Aug 2026Maverick Washington LLC / Great American CasinoTukwila96Closure1 Nov 2026
31 Aug 2026Maverick Washington LLC / Riverside CasinoTukwila142Closure1 Nov 2026
28 Aug 2026Columbia Hospitality, IncKenmore86Layoff30 Oct 2026
26 Aug 2026T-Mobile USA, Inc.Seattle, Bellingham, Bothell, Vancouver, Bellevue, Kennewick, Tacoma, and Yakima77Layoff21 Sep 2026
21 Aug 2026Borton & Sons, Inc.Yakima, Zillah, Pasco, Burbank, Prescott, Soap Lake, Othello, Mesa928Layoff8 Nov 2026
21 Aug 2026Twin City Foods, Inc.Ellensburg109Layoff2 Nov 2026
20 Aug 2026StarbucksSeattle224Layoff19 Oct 2026
18 Aug 2026TT Commerce & Global ServicesBellevue75Layoff19 Oct 2026
14 Aug 2026NorwescoFife54Closure16 Oct 2026
12 Aug 2026Jack in the BoxEverett24Closure10 Oct 2026

Source: Washington ESD — official Washington WARN listing. Covers the last 24 months and is current to 16 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 Washington requires your final paycheck

Where the employer ends the employment, final wages are due end of the pay period in Washington (RCW 49.48.010).

Final paycheck deadlines and what to do if it is late

At a glance

Status
State mini-WARN law
Covered employer
Employers with 50 or more employees (as defined in Ch. 49.45 RCW). The covered event is a business closing or mass layoff affecting 50 or more workers at a single site.
Notice period
60 days' written notice before a covered mass layoff or business closing.
Who must be notified
Affected employees (and their representative, if any); Washington Employment Security Department (ESD); The chief elected official of the community where the layoff or closure will occur
Official WARN notices
Published (see below)
Enforcement
Washington Employment Security Department (ESD).
Law last verified
Jul 24, 2026
Filings data
Newest notice Sep 16, 2026

Federal WARN vs Washington

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. Washington's state law can be broader — for example, Washington mass-layoff notice law (“Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act”) (Chapter 49.45 RCW). The details below reflect the state rule.

Recent change: Washington's state WARN requirements took effect July 27, 2025 (SB 5525). An updated mass-layoff notice measure was signed in 2026 — confirm the current effective date and any changes that apply to layoffs occurring on or after that date with ESD before relying on specifics.

Covered employers, events & thresholds

Covered employer: Employers with 50 or more employees (as defined in Ch. 49.45 RCW). The covered event is a business closing or mass layoff affecting 50 or more workers at a single site.

mass layoff

A mass layoff affecting 50 or more full-time workers at a single site of employment during a 30-day period.

plant closing

A business closing affecting 50 or more full-time employees at a single worksite.

Notice period: 60 days' written notice before a covered mass layoff or business closing.

Who must receive notice

Employees

  • Affected employees (and their representative, if any)

Government

  • Washington Employment Security Department (ESD)
  • The chief elected official of the community where the layoff or closure will occur

Find official Washington WARN notices

ESD publishes the WARN layoff-and-closure database on its website, listing employer name, business location, number of affected workers, type of action (layoff or closure), and the effective date. Search it for your employer.

Open the official WA WARN notices

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

Search the WA database directly

Washington runs a searchable WARN database, so this is the quickest of the routes — you can check a specific employer in a minute.

  1. 1Open the official database and search your employer's legal name, not its brand name — filings use the entity that employs you, which is often different.
  2. 2Try a partial name too. Subsidiaries and staffing entities file under names most employees never see on a payslip.
  3. 3Note the notice date and the effective date separately. The gap between them is what tells you whether the required notice period was honoured.
  4. 4Screenshot or save the record. Databases are refreshed in place, and an entry can change without a version history.
Open the official WA noticesHow federal WARN worksWhat a WARN notice means for you

Penalties & employee remedies

An employer that orders a covered closing or mass layoff without required notice is liable to each affected employee for back pay and benefits, and is subject to a civil penalty of up to $500 per day payable to ESD (avoidable by paying employees within three weeks).

Back pay

Back pay for each day of violation, up to 60 days, at the employee's final rate of pay or their last three-year average rate, whichever is higher.

Benefits

The value of benefits the employee would have received, including medical expenses incurred because of the loss of the benefit plan.

Civil penalty

Up to $500 for each day of violation, payable to ESD — not owed if the employer pays affected employees the amounts due within three weeks of ordering the action.

How to raise it

Contact ESD about a suspected violation; ESD administers Washington's WARN requirements.

Major exceptions & special cases

  • Faltering company — where notice would have precluded obtaining needed capital or business
  • Unforeseeable business circumstances — sudden, dramatic, and unexpected action or condition outside the employer's control
  • Natural disaster

Remote workers

Coverage follows the single site of employment; remote-worker treatment can be fact-specific — verify with ESD.

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 Washington

  1. 1Search ESD's WARN layoff-and-closure database for your employer and date.
  2. 2Note whether the layoff occurred on or after July 27, 2025, and confirm which rule applies given the 2026 update.
  3. 3Contact ESD if you believe required notice was not given; ESD administers Washington's WARN requirements.

Washington scenarios

A 60-person layoff after the 2025 law

Facts: A Washington employer lays off 60 workers at one site in September 2025.

Because Washington's state WARN requirements took effect July 27, 2025, a 50+ worker mass layoff at a single site can require 60 days' notice to ESD, affected employees, and the local elected official — with back pay and a potential $500/day penalty if notice wasn't given. Confirm the current rule for the layoff date.

Timing around a 2026 change

Facts: Your layoff date is in 2026 and you're unsure which version of the law applies.

An updated Washington mass-layoff notice measure was signed in 2026. The rule that applies can depend on whether your layoff occurred before or after the update's effective date, so verify the current effective date and requirements with ESD rather than assuming.

Washington WARN Act FAQ

Does Washington now have a mini-WARN law?+
Yes. Washington adopted state mass-layoff notice requirements (the “Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act,” Ch. 49.45 RCW) that took effect July 27, 2025 — so it is no longer accurate to say Washington relies only on federal WARN. An updated measure was signed in 2026, so confirm the current version with ESD for your layoff date.
When did Washington's state WARN requirements take effect?+
Washington's state WARN requirements took effect on July 27, 2025 under SB 5525. A further update was signed into law in 2026. Because which requirements apply can depend on when your layoff occurred, verify the current effective date and any changes with the Employment Security Department rather than relying on a single undated statement.
Does Washington require 60 days' notice?+
Yes. Washington's law generally requires 60 days' written notice before a covered mass layoff or business closing affecting 50 or more workers at a single site, given to ESD, affected employees, and the chief elected local official. Narrow exceptions (faltering company, unforeseeable circumstances, natural disaster) can allow shorter notice.
Where can employees search Washington WARN notices?+
The Employment Security Department publishes a WARN layoff-and-closure database on its website. It lists the employer name, business location, number of affected workers, the type of action (layoff or closure), and the effective date. Search it for your employer to confirm whether a notice was filed.
What penalties can apply in Washington?+
An employer that fails to give required notice can owe each affected employee back pay for each day of violation (up to 60 days, at the higher of final pay or a three-year average) plus the value of benefits, including medical costs. A civil penalty of up to $500 per day payable to ESD can also apply, unless the employer pays employees the amounts due within three weeks.
How do the 2026 changes affect employees?+
Washington's state WARN law first took effect in 2025, and an updated measure was signed in 2026. For employees, the key is which version applies to your layoff — that can turn on the layoff date and the update's effective date. Rather than merge current and future rules, confirm the applicable requirements with ESD for your specific timing.

Nearby states

Washington unemployment

Related

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

Sources & methodology

This page summarizes Washington'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. Chapter 49.45 RCW — Mass Layoffs and Business Closings — Washington State LegislatureThe state statute / legal basis. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026
  2. WARN requirements — Washington Employment Security DepartmentOfficial agency guidance. · Last verified Jul 24, 2026
  3. WARN layoff and closure database — Washington Employment Security DepartmentWhere 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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