Ohio Enacts Mini-WARN Statute

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 ("WARN Act") requires covered employers to provide 60 days' notice to employees in the event of a "plant closing" or "mass layoff." Some states also have "mini-WARN" statutes that impose additional requirements on such employers.

On September 29, 2025, Ohio will join those states when its recently enacted mini-WARN statute becomes effective. Ohio's mini-WARN statute, codified as Ohio Revised Code § 4113.31, requires employers to "comply with all requirements in the WARN Act" and will require covered employers to provide at least 60 days' written notice to employees or their union representatives in the event of a "plant closing" or "mass layoff." Ohio's mini-WARN statute also provides that "[t]he requirements specified in this section do not establish a different standard than that established by federal statutes and regulations." However, there are a few notable departures from the WARN Act, which are