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ARTICLE · 15 OCTOBER 2025

California Expands WARN Requirements: New Rules Take Effect January 2026

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California has once again expanded its employee-protection framework — this time by broadening the content employers must include in the state's Worker...

United StatesEmployment and HR
Justin Ruedaflores
Justin Ruedaflores
John F. Kuenstler
John F. Kuenstler
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California has once again expanded its employee-protection framework — this time by broadening the content employers must include in the state's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices.

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, employers must include new disclosures in notices issued under the Cal-WARN Act. Senate Bill (SB) 617 amends Labor Code § 1401 to add specific informational requirements for employers conducting a mass layoff, relocation or termination at a covered establishment.

Key Changes

1. Coordination with Workforce Development Boards

Employers must state in their Cal-WARN notices whether they plan to coordinate “rapid-response” services through the local workforce development board, another entity, or not at all. Regardless of the choice, the notice must list the board's contact information and include standardized language describing available job-placement and retraining services. If coordination is planned, those services must be arranged

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