Free checklist · For HR & Finance
The layoff readiness checklist
What to settle before a reduction is ever on the table — so the notice rules, the paperwork and the money question aren't being worked out under time pressure.
01
Know which notice rules apply
- Federal WARN: employers with 100 or more employees must give at least 60 calendar days' written notice before a plant closing or a mass layoff affecting 50 or more employees at a single site. Notice goes to affected employees (or their representative), the state dislocated worker unit, and the local chief elected official.Source: U.S. Department of Labor — WARN
- Check your state's own WARN law too — 13 states have one, and they're often stricter. New York, for example, requires 90 days' notice and applies from 50 employees; California's applies to facilities with 75 or more.Source: National Law Review — state mini-WARN Acts
- Map where every affected person works. Notice rules follow the work site and the state, not where headquarters is.
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Still to come:
- — Decide the process before the names
- — If you'll ask for a release of claims
- — Pay and benefits
- — The day itself
Settle the money question in advance
The hardest part of a reduction is the part nobody planned for. With CushionPay, employees build a cushion from their own post-tax paychecks, and it pays out the same day a layoff is verified — a structure that's already in place before the conversation starts.
General information, not legal, tax or benefits advice. Rules change and vary by state, plan and situation — check the linked sources and talk to a qualified adviser. Sources checked September 2026.