Dear Bob,
We are working with businesses and affected workers from small business who do not qualify under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN.) What are your recommendations?
Sincerely,
Without a Paddle
Dear Without a Paddle,
The WARN Act protects employees, families, and communities from massive layoffs and business closures by requiring state and federal level notification. Uniquely, the State of Iowa also has a layoff notification requirement for businesses operating within its boundaries. The WARN Act requires businesses to notify workforce agencies if they are laying off 50 or more individuals at one time. The state of Iowa requires businesses to notify Iowa Workforce Development if they are laying off 25 or more individuals at one time.
As for recommendations, I would provide workforce services to these small layoffs in the same manner as larger layoffs. I would recommend you notify Iowa Workforce Development's Rapid Response Coordinator, regardless of layoff size. The Rapid Response Coordinator will provide guidance. Additionally, workforce agencies and/or partners can provide rapid response-like services to affected workers that do not qualify under WARN or state of Iowa requirements. During these rapid response-like activities, workers should be presented with similar information as a rapid response event. It is also recommended that local leadership track these small layoffs for RWDB, CEO, stakeholder, and community notification.
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