The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity​ and Local Workforce Innovation Areas (LWIAs)provide services to employers who are planning, or have gone through, a layoff. In addition to providing services, these entities, along with individuals and employers, have the ability to report layoffs in Illinois.

The Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) requires applicable employers to provide advanced notification of a plant closure or mass layoff. This section provides details on the law and how to comply with it. Visit this page to find:

• State WARN Definitions.
  
• How to Submit a WARN.
  
• Illinois WARN Contracts.
• WARN Downloads.
  

The Illinois WARN Law differs from the Federal WARN Act. Illinois WARN requirement differences are as followed:

Applies to employers with 75 or more full-time workers.

Definition of “Mass Layoff” triggering notice requirements:

• 25 or more full-time employees are laid off and they constitute one-third or more of the full-time employees at the site, or
  

• 250 or more full-time employees are laid off at a single site.

Definition of “Plant Closure” triggering notice requirements:

• Closure of a site that employs 50 or more employees.

Another important difference is in the enforcement of the Act. Under federal WARN, neither the federal government nor the state may initiate actions for alleged non-compliance. Only employees and local government officials may initiate action in federal court.

The Illinois WARN Law maintains that the Director of the Illinois Department of Labor is to make rules with “provisions that allow the parties access to administrative hearings for any actions of the Department under the Act.” Furthermore, in “any investigation or proceeding under this Act,” the Director has authority to “examine the books and records of an employer” in order to determine whether a violation of this Act has occurred.” 

Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

Notice Must Be Provided To Illinois’ Dislocated Worker Division:

Office of Employment and Training
ATTENTION:  John Ray
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
500 East Monroe, 9th Floor
Springfield, IL 62701-1643

What the notice must contain:

• Name and address of the employment site(s) where the plant is closing, or a mass layoff will occur.
• A statement to the effect of whether the planned action is expected to be permanent or temporary and if the entire plant is to be closed.
  
• Expected date of the first separation, and the anticipated schedule for making separations.
• Job titles of positions to be affected, and the number of affected employees in each job classification (for multiple sites list per site).
  
• A statement as to the existence of any applicable bumping rights.
• Name of each union representing affected employees, and the name and address of the chief elected officer of each union. If none, please state.
• Name and telephone number of a company official to contact for further information.

(Please include the employer's federal identification number, or FEIN, for the dislocating company on WARN correspondence.)

Illinois WARN Complaints

To file a complaint regarding the Illinois WARN Act, please contact:
Jeff Naville, Division Manager
Conciliation & Mediation
Illinois Department of Labor
(217) 785-4420

Filing a WARN Notice or Illinois WARN Complaint (PDF).

The Business Economic Support Act (BESA)

In the State of Illinois, Public Act 87-130 Section 15 states any business or industry is “required to provide notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and receiving State or local economic development incentives for doing or continuing to do business in this State, in addition to the notice required under federal law, shall also provide at the same time a copy of that federal notice to the Governor, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Mayor of each municipality where the private entity has locations in this State.” Review BESA and the WARN Employer Guide (PDF).

For more information on WARN reports and the WARN Act, contact the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Bureau of Workforce Development:    

John Ray
(217) 558-2432

Reporters please call:

Jacquelyn Reineke

(312) 814-5341

Downloads

Filing a WARN Notice or Illinois WARN Complaint (PDF)

WARN Employer Guide (PDF)

WARN Reports

2019 and Prior Year

• Mar 31, 2019 WARN (PDF)
  
• Feb 28, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• Jan 31, 2019 WARN (PDF)
  
• Dec 31, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• Nov 30, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• Oct 31, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• Sep 30, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• Aug 31, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• Jul 31, 2018 WARN (PDF)
• Jun 30, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• May 31, 2018 WARN (PDF)
  
• Apr 30, 2018 WARN (PDF)

View archived WARN Reports here.

FAQs