Does Wisconsin have its own WARN Act?

Yes. Wisconsin has its own WARN law (Wisconsin Business Closing Law (Wis. Stat. § 109.07)) with different thresholds than federal. It applies to employers with 50+ employees and requires 60 days notice.

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

Wisconsin requires 60 days advance notice for covered mass layoffs.

Resources WARN ActWisconsin

Wisconsin WARN Act

Wisconsin Business Closing Law (Wis. Stat. § 109.07)

60-day noticeNo mandatory severance

Key thresholds

Employer minimum

50employees

↓ Lower than federal (100)

Notice required

60days

Same as federal

Employee threshold

25+

OR 25% of workforce

Look-back window

90days

Rolling aggregation period

Key nuances for Wisconsin

Triggers when 25+ employees OR 25% of the workforce — the OR logic is less restrictive than the federal AND standard, making this easier to trigger. Lower employer minimum (50 vs. 100) also extends coverage.

How Wisconsin differs from federal WARN

Factor	Federal WARN	WI
Employer minimum	100+ employees	50+ employees
Notice required	60 days	60 days
Employee threshold	50+ AND 33%, or 500+	25+ OR 25%
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 Tennessee

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

Automate WARN compliance for your next RIF

People Plan checks federal and all state thresholds as you build your selection, flags obligations before you finalize, and generates compliant notice letters — including Wisconsin.