Illinois WARN notices 2026

Questions readers ask

Who has to give a WARN notice in Illinois?

An employer with 75 or more employees, not counting part-time workers, or 75 or more employees who together work at least 4,000 hours a week. It must give 60 days’ written notice before a plant closing that costs 50 or more full-time employees their jobs at one site within 30 days, or a mass layoff of at least 25 full-time employees who are at least 33 percent of the site’s full-time employees, or of 250 or more. The notice goes to the workers or their union, to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and to the local chief elected officials.

How is the Illinois WARN Act different from the federal WARN Act?

It covers smaller employers and smaller layoffs. The federal Act applies to employers of 100 or more and counts a mass layoff at 50 to 499 workers who are at least 33 percent of the site, or 500 or more. The Illinois Act applies from 75 full-time employees and counts a mass layoff at 25 workers who are at least 33 percent of the site, or 250 or more. Both require 60 days’ notice, and Illinois requires two years from owners of investor-owned power plants and coal mines.

Where are Illinois WARN notices published?

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity publishes a monthly WARN report on Illinois workNet, with reports going back to 1999. Each lists the employer, site address, county, type of event, the date the notice was received, the first and last layoff dates and the number of workers. The department says the reports reflect only layoffs employers reported under the WARN Act, not all layoff activity, and that some details cannot be verified before a report is posted.

What happens if an Illinois employer does not give notice?

The Illinois Department of Labor says an employer that fails to give the notice owes each affected employee back pay and benefits for the period of the violation, up to 60 days. Failing to notify the state and local officials also carries a civil penalty of up to $500 for each day, which the statute waives if the employer pays the affected employees what it owes within three weeks of ordering the layoff. The department takes complaints on its WARN page.

Why do some Illinois WARN notices give dates in 2027 and 2028?

Illinois requires owners of investor-owned electric generating plants and coal mines to give two years’ notice instead of 60 days. Vistra Corp. filed notices on May 4, 2026 for its Baldwin, Kincaid and Newton power plants, 304 workers in all, with closing dates from October 2027 to February 2028.