California recently passed Senate Bill 617 which requires additional information to be provided in Cal-WARN Act notices issued on or after January 1, 2026.
As a brief background, there are federal and state laws which discuss the issue of notice owed to employees before large layoffs. The Federal law is known as the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification or “WARN” Act. California’s version of the WARN act (AB 2957, the “Cal-WARN Act”) contains additional provisions employers must be aware of. Cal-WARN Act notices are required if a “covered” establishment suffers a “mass layoff” or 50 or more employees, a “termination” of substantial operation, or a “relocation” to a different location 100 or more miles away. (Cal. Labor Code §§1400.5(d)-(f).) The notices must be sent to affected employees, the state Employment Development Department (“EDD”), and other local agencies. See our prior articles addressing these requirements in more detail here, as well as the EDD’s summary of the laws here.
The new bill does not change any of the circumstances that give rise to the WARN notice requirements, the federal WARN Act elements that are to be added to the Cal-WARN notice, or the individuals and entities that must be delivered a copy of the Cal-WARN notice.
SB 617 requires the following additional language be included in all Cal-WARN notices starting next calendar year:
- “whether the employer plans to coordinate services, such as a rapid response orientation, through the local workforce development board, the employer plans to coordinate services through a different entity, or the employer does not plan to coordinate services with any entity”;
- “a functioning email and telephone number of the board and the following description of the rapid response activities offered by the local workforce development board …: ‘Local Workforce Development Boards and their partners help laid off workers find new jobs. Visit an America’s Job Center of California location near you. You can get help with your resume, practice interviewing, search for jobs, and more. You can also learn about training programs to help start a new career.’”;
- “a description of the statewide food assistance program known as CalFresh[,] the CalFresh benefits helpline, and a link to the CalFresh internet website”; and
- “a functioning email and telephone number of the employer for contact.”
If the employer chooses to coordinate services with the local workforce development board or another entity, the employer must arrange services within 30 days from the date of the notice.
