Does Tennessee have its own WARN Act?

Yes. Tennessee has its own WARN law (Tennessee Plant Closing and Reduction in Operations Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-601)) with different thresholds than federal. It applies to employers with 50+ employees and requires 60 days notice.

How many days notice does Tennessee require for a mass layoff?

Tennessee requires 60 days advance notice for covered mass layoffs.

Resources WARN ActTennessee

Tennessee WARN Act

Tennessee Plant Closing and Reduction in Operations Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-601)

60-day noticeNo mandatory severance

Key thresholds

Employer minimum

50employees

↓ Lower than federal (100)

Notice required

60days

Same as federal

Employee threshold

50+

AND 33% of workforce

Look-back window

90days

Rolling aggregation period

Key nuances for Tennessee

Covers employers with 50–99 employees — a gap the federal WARN Act (100+ employer floor) does not reach. Triggers when 50+ employees AND 33% of workforce are affected.

How Tennessee differs from federal WARN

Factor	Federal WARN	TN
Employer minimum	100+ employees	50+ employees
Notice required	60 days	60 days
Employee threshold	50+ AND 33%, or 500+	50+ AND 33%
Covers part-time	No (20+ hrs/wk only)	No
Mandatory severance	No	No
Safe harbors	Faltering company, Unforeseeable business circumstances, Natural disaster	Same as federal

Other states

California Connecticut Hawaii Illinois Iowa Maine Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota New Hampshire New Jersey New York Wisconsin

This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change — always verify with qualified employment counsel before a reduction in force.

People Plan

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