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WORKER ADJUSTMENT RETRAINING AND NOTIFICATION
IN CASE OF OFFICE CLOSING OR MASS LAYOFF

Summary

Section 205 of the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) applies certain rights and protections of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) to covered employees. This section requires certain covered employing offices to provide notice 60 days in advance of an office closing or a mass layoff. The notice must be provided to either the affected employees or to their representatives (e.g., a labor union). Also, the CAA requires the Board to issue regulations that must ordinarily be the same as the substantive regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) under WARN.

This summary describes the WARN rights and protections applied by the CAA, followed by questions and answers and regulations issued by the Board.

1. Coverage

Employing offices are covered by the WARN provisions of the CAA only if they meet these size thresholds:

  • 100 or more employees, excluding "part-time employees ;" or
  • 100 or more employees, including "part-time employees," who in the aggregate work at least 4,000 hours per week, exclusive of overtime.

Part time employees are employees who work an average of less than 20 hours per week or who worked less than 6 months in the last 12 months (e.g., seasonal employees).
The covered employees and employing offices subject generally to the CAA are described in the Introductory section.

2. What Events Trigger the Notice Requirement?

A covered employing office's obligation to give notice is triggered by an "office closing" or a "mass layoff" that is large enough to meet thresholds stated in the law and regulations.

  • An Office Closing is the permanent or temporary shutdown of an employment site (or one or more facilities or operating units within an employment site) if the shutdown results in an "employment loss" (defined later) to 50 or more employees (other than part-time employees) during any 30-day period.
  • A Mass Layoff is a reduction in force (other than an office closing) that results in an "employment loss" at an employment site during any 30 day period for at least 50 employees, who make up at least 33 percent of the active employees (other than part-time employees). Where 500 or more employees (excluding part-time employees) are affected, the 33 percent requirement does not apply.

(The difference is that an "office closing" involves shutdown of one or more distinct units within a single site or of the entire site, while a "mass layoff" involves employment loss regardless of whether one or more units are shut down.)

Subject to certain exceptions, an employment loss generally means (1) an employment termination (other than for cause, or a voluntary departure, or a retirement); (2) a layoff exceeding 6 months; or (3) a reduction in an employee's work hours of more than 50 percent in
each month of any 6-month period.

Even if employment losses of two or more groups of workers during any 30-day period are below the thresholds to trigger notice requirements, notice may nevertheless be required if the employment losses during any 90-day period, added together, reach the threshold.

3. Privatization or Sale of Operations

In the case of the privatization or sale of part or all of an employing office's operations, the employing office is responsible for providing notice of any office closing or mass layoff that takes place up to and including the effective date (time) of the privatization or sale. The contractor or buyer is responsible for providing any required notice of any office closing or mass layoff that takes place after the privatization or sale.

4. Notice Requirements

a. Recipients

The employing office must serve written notice upon the collective bargaining representatives of "affected employees" or, if there are no representatives, upon the affected employees themselves. An affected employee is a covered employee who is reasonably expected to experience an employment loss as a consequence of a proposed office closing or mass layoff of their employing office.

b. Contents

Although no particular form of notice is required, the notice must be in writing, specific and must contain each of the elements required in regulations of the Board.

c. Notice period, exceptions

With limited exceptions, notice must be timed to reach the required parties at least 60 days before an office closing or a mass layoff.

Regulations of the Board state two circumstances under which the notification period may be reduced to less than 60 days:

  • business circumstances that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time the 60 day notice would have been required; or
  • a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, flood, or drought.

The employing office must prove that the conditions for the exception have been met. If an exception is applicable, the employing office must give as much notice as is practicable, together with a brief statement of the reason for reducing the notification period.

Additional notice is required when the date or schedule of dates of a planned office closing or mass layoff is extended beyond the date announced in the original notice.

5. Exemption for Temporary Employment

An employing office does not need to give notice if the office closing is the closing of a temporary facility, or if the closing or layoff is the result of the completion of a particular project or undertaking. This exemption applies only if the affected employees were hired with the understanding that their employment was limited to the duration of the facility or the project or undertaking.

6. Intimidation or Reprisal

Intimidation, reprisal, or discrimination against a covered employee for opposing practices or for initiating or participating in a proceeding is prohibited, as described in the Introductory section.

7. Remedies

In case of a violation, the covered employee may recover --

  • back pay, and benefits under an employee benefits plan, for each day of violation for up to 60 days (but in no event more than one-half the number of days the employee was employed by the employing office).

Offsets to the amount of liability are allowed for certain payments made by the employing office to the employee, including wages or benefits for the period of violation, and any voluntary and unconditional payment. Furthermore, reductions in the employing office's liability may be allowed where the notice was made in good faith and the employer had reasonable grounds for believing that it was not violating applicable WARN requirements under the CAA.
The provisions of WARN, made applicable by the CAA, do not require an employing office or contractor to hire or reinstate a covered employee who was not given required notice.

A description of the generally applicable remedies (attorneys fees, interest) and limitations (no civil penalties or punitive damages) is found in the Introductory section.


WORKER ADJUSTMENT RETRAINING AND NOTIFICATION ACT (WARN)

Questions and Answers

1. Q.What does section 205 of the CAA require?

A. Section 205 applies the rights and protections of the Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act to covered employees and requires certain employing offices to provide employees with at least 60 days notice before a closing or a mass layoff.

2. Q.Are all employing offices covered?

A. No. Section 205 does not apply to every employing office covered under the CAA. Section 205 applies only to employing offices meeting the size thresholds under WARN. This means that employing offices covered under section 205 of the CAA will be employing offices that employ (a) 100 or more employees, excluding part-time employees, or (b) 100 or more employees, including part-time employees, if in the aggregate the employees work at least 4000 hours per week, exclusive of overtime. However, even if employment losses of two or more groups of workers during any 30-day period are below the threshold to trigger notice requirements, notice may nevertheless be required if the employment losses during any 90-day period, added together, reach the threshold.

3. Q. Must the employing office give notice in the case of the privatization or sale of the employing office's operations?

A. In the case of the privatization or sale of an employing office's operations, the employing office must give notice of any office closing or mass layoff which takes place up to and including the effective date of the sale or privatization. The contractor or buyer will be responsible for providing any required notice of any office closing or mass layoff that takes place after the effective date of the sale or privatization.

4. Q. What is the difference between an "office closing" and a "mass layoff"?

A. An office closing is the shutdown of a "single site of employment," or one or more "facilities or operating units" within a single site of employment, if the shutdown results in an "employment loss" during any 30 day period of 50 or more full time employees. A shutdown occurs when the work performed by the unit effectively comes to a stop.

A mass layoff is a reduction in force that is not the result of an office closing. Further, it must result in an employment loss at a single site of employment during any 30 day period of at least 33 percent of the active full time employees, and at least 50 full time employees.

An employment loss is any one of the following three things: (1) an employment termination, other than a discharge for cause, voluntary departure, or retirement; (2) a layoff exceeding 6 months; or (3) a reduction in hours of work of individual employees of more than 50% during each month of any 6-month period.

5. Q. What is "adequate notice"?

A. All notices must be in writing, although notice need not be in any particular form. Any reasonable method of delivery designed to ensure receipt 60 days before a closing or layoff is acceptable.

Notice must be specific and must contain the name and address of the employment site where the office closing or mass layoff will occur, and the name and telephone number of an employing office official to contact for further information; a statement as to whether the planned action is expected to be permanent or temporary and, if the entire office is to be closed, a statement to that effect; the expected date of the first separation and the anticipated schedule for making separations; and the job titles of positions to be affected and the names of the workers currently holding affected jobs. The employing office may include other information as it deems necessary.

6. Q. Must notice be given during a temporary shutdown?

A. Notice must only be given during a temporary shutdown if it results in an employment loss as defined in question 4, above.

7. Q. If an employing office fails to provide adequate notice to a covered employee, may the employee get his job back?

A. No. An employing office that violates section 205 of the CAA by ordering an office closing or mass layoff without the appropriate notice is liable to each aggrieved employee for an amount including back pay and benefits for the period of the violation, up to 60 days. The employing office's liability may be reduced by such items as wages paid by the employing office to the employee during the period of the violation and any voluntary and unconditional payment by the employing office to the employee that is not required by any legal obligation.

8. Q. If an employing office is shutdown due to a natural disaster, must the employing office provide the 60 days notice?

A. No. Employing offices need not provide 60 days notice where the shutdown is a direct result of a natural disaster, but must give as much notice as is practicable. When notice is given, it must include a brief statement of the reason for reducing the notice period. Natural disasters would include occurrences such as floods, earthquakes, droughts, storms. The same rule applies to closings or layoffs due to unforeseen business circumstances that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time notice would otherwise have been required.


OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE

The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995: Extension of Rights and Protections Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF REGULATION AND SUBMISSION FOR APPROVAL AND ISSUANCE OF INTERIM REGULATIONS

SUMMARY: The Board of Directors, Office of Compliance, after considering comments to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published November 28, 1995 in the Congressional Record, has adopted, and is submitting for approval by the Congress, final regulations implementing section 205 of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 ("CAA"). The Board is also adopting and issuing such regulations as interim regulations for the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the employing offices of the instrumentalities effective on January 23, 1996 or on the dates upon which appropriate resolutions of approval are passed, whichever is later. The interim regulations shall expire on April 15, 1996 or on the dates on which appropriate resolutions concerning the Board's final regulations are passed by the House and the Senate, respectively, whichever is earlier.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Executive Director, Office of Compliance, Room LA 200, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540-1999. Telephone: (202) 724-9250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Summary

The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 ("CAA"), P.L. 104-1, was enacted into law on January 23, 1995. 2 U.S.C. §§ 1301 et seq. In general, the CAA applies the rights and protections of eleven federal labor and employment statutes to covered employees and employing offices within the legislative branch. Section 205 of the CAA provides that no employing office shall be closed or a mass layoff ordered within the meaning of section 3 of the Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act of 1988, 29 U.S.C. § 2102 ("WARN"), until the end of a 60-day period after the employing office serves written notice of such prospective closing or layoff to representatives of covered employees or, if there are no representatives, to covered employees. 2 U.S.C. § 1315(a). Section 225(f) of the CAA provides that, "[e]xcept where inconsistent with definitions and exemptions provided in this Act, the definitions and exemptions in [WARN] shall apply under this Act." 2 U.S.C. § 1361(f).

Sections 205(c) and 304(a) of the CAA directs the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance established under the CAA to issue regulations implementing section 205 of the CAA. 2 U.S.C. §§ 1315(c), 1384(a). Section 205(c) further states that such regulations "shall be the same as substantive regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor to implement the statutory provisions referred to in subsection (a) except insofar as the Board may determine, for good cause shown and stated together with the regulation, that a modification of such regulations would be more effective for the implementation of the rights and protections under this section." 2 U.S.C. § 1315(c).

To obtain input from interested persons on the content of these regulations, the Board published for comment a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Congressional Record, 141 Cong. Rec. S17652 (daily ed., Nov. 28, 1995), inviting comments regarding the proposed regulations. The Board received three comments on the proposed regulations from interested parties. Two of the comments, without elaboration, supported the regulations as proposed. Only one commenter took issue with sections of the proposed regulations and the Board's resolution of certain issues raised in the NPR. In addition, the Office has sought consultations with the Secretary of Labor regarding the proposed regulations, pursuant to section 304(g) of the CAA.

After full consideration of the comments received in response to the proposed rule, the Board has adopted and is submitting these regulations for approval by the Congress. Moreover, pursuant to sections 304 and 411, the Board is adopting and issuing such regulations as interim regulations for the House, the Senate and the employing offices of the instrumentalities effective on January 23, 1996 or on the dates upon which appropriate resolutions of approval are passed, whichever is later. The interim regulations shall expire on April 15, 1996 or on the dates on which appropriate resolutions concerning the Board's final regulations are passed by the House and the Senate, respectively, whichever is earlier.

I. Summary of Comments and Board's Final Rules

A. Employer Coverage.
One commenter suggested that, in proposed section 639.3(a), the Board replace the term "business enterprise" with "of the offices listed in section 101(9) of the CAA, 2 U.S.C. § 1301(9)." Upon consideration of the matter, the Board incorporates the commenter's suggestion because the modification accurately and precisely states the coverage of the provision.

B. Sale of Business.
A commenter suggested that the concept of a "sale of business" in proposed section 639.4(c) of the regulations is inapplicable to this commenter's specific operations. It suggests that the language of proposed section 639.4(c) be changed from "sale of business" to "privatization."

The Board sees no substantive difference between the concept of "sale of business" and "privatization" for purposes of this section. Therefore, the Board adds the nomenclature suggested by the commenter to accord more naturally to situations within the legislative branch. However, by making this change, the Board does not intend any substantive difference between the meaning of section 639.3(c) and the section of the Secretary's regulations from which it is derived.

C. Encouragement Regarding Notice.
A commenter suggested that proposed section 639.1(c), which encourages employing offices to give notice even where not required, be deleted. The commenter suggested that the deletion is justified because section 7 of WARN, which provides authority for this regulation, is not incorporated into the CAA.

On further consideration of the matter, the Board will not include this section in its adopted regulation. The section does not implement any substantive requirement of WARN, as applied by the CAA, and thus its inclusion in these regulations is not required by the CAA.

D. Technical and Nomenclature Changes.
A commenter suggested a number of technical and nomenclature changes to the proposed regulations to make them more precise in their application to the legislative branch. The Board has incorporated many of the changes suggested by the commenter. However, by making these changes, the Board does not intend a substantive difference in the meaning of these sections of the Board's regulations and those of the Secretary from which the Board's regulations are derived.

E. Scope of Regulations.
The regulations issued by the Board herein are on all matters for which section 205 of the CAA requires a regulation to be issued. Specifically, it is the Board's considered judgment, based on the information available to it at the time of promulgation of these regulations, that, with the exception of regulations adopted and set forth herein, there are no other "substantive regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor to implement the statutory provisions referred to in subsection (a) [of section 205 of the CAA]." 2 U.S.C. §1315(c).

II. Adoption of Proposed Rules as Final Regulations under Section 304(b)(3) and as Interim Regulations.

Having considered the public comments to the proposed rules, the Board, pursuant to section 304(b)(3) and (4) of the CAA, is adopting these final regulations and transmitting them to the House and the Senate with recommendations as to the method of approval by each body under section 304(c). However, the rapidly approaching effective date of the CAA's implementation necessitates that the Board take further action with respect to these regulations. For the reasons explained below, the Board is also today adopting and issuing these rules as interim regulations that will be effective as of January 23, 1996 or the time upon which appropriate resolutions of approval of these interim regulations are passed by the House and/or the Senate, whichever is later. These interim regulations will remain in effect until the earlier of April 15, 1996 or the dates upon which the House and Senate complete their respective consideration of the final regulations that the Board is herein adopting.

The Board finds that it is necessary and appropriate to adopt such interim regulations and that there is "good cause" for making them effective as of the later of January 23, 1996, or the time upon which appropriate resolutions of approval of them are passed by the House and the Senate. In the absence of the issuance of such interim regulations, covered employees, employing offices, and the Office of Compliance staff itself would be forced to operate in regulatory uncertainty. While section 411 of the CAA provides that, "if the Board has not issued a regulation on a matter for which this Act requires a regulation to be issued, the hearing officer, Board, or court, as the case may be, shall apply, to the extent necessary and appropriate, the most relevant substantive executive agency regulation promulgated to implement the statutory provision at issue in the proceeding," covered employees, employing offices and the Office of Compliance staff might not know what regulation, if any, would be found applicable in particular circumstances absent the procedures suggested here. The resulting confusion and uncertainty on the part of covered employees and employing offices would be contrary to the purposes and objectives of the CAA, as well as to the interests of those whom it protects and regulates. Moreover, since the House and the Senate will likely act on the Board's final regulations within a short period of time, covered employees and employing offices would have to devote considerable attention and resources to learning, understanding, and complying with a whole set of default regulations that would then have no future application. These interim regulations prevent such a waste of resources.

The Board's authority to issue such interim regulations derives from sections 411 and 304 of the CAA. Section 411 gives the Board authority to determine whether, in the absence of the issuance of a final regulation by the Board, it is necessary and appropriate to apply the substantive regulations of the executive branch in implementing the provisions of the CAA. Section 304(a) of the CAA in turn authorizes the Board to issue substantive regulations to implement the Act. Moreover, section 304(b) of the CAA instructs that the Board shall adopt substantive regulations "in accordance with the principles and procedures set forth in section 553 of title 5, United States Code," which have in turn traditionally been construed by courts to allow an agency to issue "interim" rules where the failure to have rules in place in a timely manner would frustrate the effective operation of a federal statute. See, e.g., Philadelphia Citizens in Action v. Schweiker, 669 F.2d 877 (3d Cir. 1982). As noted above, in the absence of the Board's adoption and issuance of these interim rules, such a frustration of the effective operation of the CAA would occur here.

In so interpreting its authority, the Board recognizes that in section 304 of the CAA, Congress specified certain procedures that the Board must follow in issuing substantive regulations. In section 304(b), Congress said that, except as specified in section 304(e), the Board must follow certain notice and comment and other procedures. The interim regulations in fact have been subject to such notice and comment and such other procedures of section 304(b).

In issuing these interim regulations, the Board also recognizes that section 304(c) specifies certain procedures that the House and the Senate are to follow in approving the Board's regulations. The Board is of the view that the essence of section 304(c)'s requirements are satisfied by making the effectiveness of these interim regulations conditional on the passage of appropriate resolutions of approval by the House and/or the Senate. Moreover, section 304(c) appears to be designed primarily for (and applicable to) final regulations of the Board, which these interim regulations are not. In short, section 304(c)'s procedures should not be understood to prevent the issuance of interim regulations that are necessary for the effective implementation of the CAA.

Indeed, the promulgation of these interim regulations clearly conforms to the spirit of section 304(c) and, in fact promotes its proper operation. As noted above, the interim regulations shall become effective only upon the passage of appropriate resolutions of approval, which is what section 304(c) contemplates. Moreover, these interim regulations allow more considered deliberation by the House and the Senate of the Board's final regulations under section 304(c).

The House has in fact already signaled its approval of such interim regulations both for itself and for the instrumentalities. On December 19, 1995, the House adopted H. Res. 311 and H. Con. Res. 123, which approve "on a provisional basis" regulations "issued by the Office of Compliance before January 23, 1996." The Board believes these resolutions are sufficient to make these interim regulations effective for the House on January 23, 1996, though the House might want to pass new resolutions of approval in response to this pronouncement of the Board.

To the Board's knowledge, the Senate has not yet acted on H. Con. Res. 123, nor has it passed a counterpart to H. Res. 311 that would cover employing offices and employees of the Senate. As stated herein, it must do so if these interim regulations are to apply to the Senate and the other employing offices of the instrumentalities (and to prevent the default rules of the executive branch from applying as of January 23, 1996).

III. METHOD OF APPROVAL

The Board received no comments on the method of approval for these regulations. Therefore, the Board continues to recommend that (1) the version of the regulations that shall apply to the Senate and employees of the Senate should be approved by the Senate by resolution; (2) the version of the regulations that shall apply to the House of Representatives and employees of the House of Representatives should be approved by the House of Representatives by resolution; and (3) the version of the regulations that shall apply to other covered employees and employing offices should be approved by the Congress by concurrent resolution.

With respect to the interim version of these regulations, the Board recommends that the Senate approve them by resolution insofar as they apply to the Senate and employees of the Senate. In addition, the Board recommends that the Senate approve them by concurrent resolution insofar as they apply to other covered employees and employing offices. It is noted that the House has expressed its approval of the regulations insofar as they apply to the House and its employees through its passage of H. Res. 311 on December 19, 1995. The House also expressed its approval of the regulations insofar as they apply to other employing offices through passage of H. Con. Res. 123 on the same date; this concurrent resolution is pending before the Senate.

Adopted Regulations -- As Interim Regulations and As Final Regulations

APPLICATION OF RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS OF THE WORKER ADJUSTMENT RETRAINING AND NOTIFICATION ACT OF 1988 (Implementing Section 204 of the CAA)

§639.1 Purpose and scope.

§639.2 What does WARN require?

§639.3 Definitions.

§639.4 Who must give notice?

§639.5 When must notice be given?

§639.6 Who must receive notice?

§639.7 What must the notice contain?

§639.8 How is the notice served?

§639.9 When may notice be given less than 60 days in advance?

§639.10 When may notice be extended?

§639.11 Duration of Interim Regulations

§639.1 Purpose and scope.
(a) Purpose of WARN as applied by the CAA. Section 205 of the Congressional Accountability Act, P.L. 104-1 ("CAA"), provides protection to covered employees and their families by requiring employing offices to provide notification 60 calendar days in advance of office closings and mass layoffs within the meaning of section 3 of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, 29 U.S.C. § 2102. Advance notice provides workers and their families some transition time to adjust to the prospective loss of employment, to seek and obtain alternative jobs and, if necessary, to enter skill training or retraining that will allow these workers to successfully compete in the job market. As used in these regulations, WARN shall refer to the provisions of WARN applied to covered employing offices by section 205 of the CAA.

(b) Scope of these regulations. These regulations are issued by the Board of Directors, Office of Compliance, pursuant to sections 205(c) and 304 of the CAA, which directs the Board to promulgate regulations implementing section 205 that are "the same as substantive regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor to implement the statutory provisions referred to in subsection (a) [of section 205 of the CAA] except insofar as the Board may determine, for good cause shown. . . that a modification of such regulations would be more effective for the implementation of the rights and protections under this section." The regulations issued by the Board herein are on all matters for which section 205 of the CAA requires a regulation to be issued. Specifically, it is the Board's considered judgment, based on the information available to it at the time of promulgation of these regulations, that, with the exception of regulations adopted and set forth herein, there are no other "substantive regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor to implement the statutory provisions referred to in subsection (a) [of section 205 of the CAA]."

In promulgating these regulations, the Board has made certain technical and nomenclature changes to the regulations as promulgated by the Secretary. Such changes are intended to make the provisions adopted accord more naturally to situations in the legislative branch. However, by making these changes, the Board does not intend a substantive difference between these sections and those of the Secretary from which they are derived. Moreover, such changes, in and of themselves, are not intended to constitute an interpretation of the regulation or of the statutory provisions of the CAA upon which they are based.

These regulations establish basic definitions and rules for giving notice, implementing the provisions of WARN. The objective of these regulations is to establish clear principles and broad guidelines which can be applied in specific circumstances. However, it is recognized that rulemaking cannot address the multitude of employing office-specific situations in which advance notice will be given.

(c) Notice in ambiguous situations. It is civically desirable and it would appear to be good business practice for an employing office to provide advance notice, where reasonably possible, to its workers or unions when terminating a significant number of employees. The Office encourages employing offices to give notice in such circumstances.

(d) WARN not to supersede other laws and contracts. The provisions of WARN do not supersede any otherwise applicable laws or collective bargaining agreements that provide for additional notice or additional rights and remedies. If such law or agreement provides for a longer notice period, WARN notice shall run concurrently with that additional notice period. Collective bargaining agreements may be used to clarify or amplify the terms and conditions of WARN, but may not reduce WARN rights.

§639.2 What does WARN require?
WARN requires employing offices that are planning an office closing or a mass layoff to give affected employees at least 60 days' notice of such an employment action. While the 60-day period is the minimum for advance notice, this provision is not intended to discourage employing offices from voluntarily providing longer periods of advance notice. Not all office closings and layoffs are subject to WARN, and certain employment thresholds must be reached before WARN applies. WARN sets out specific exemptions, and provides for a reduction in the notification period in particular circumstances. Remedies authorized under section 205 of the CAA may be assessed against employing offices that violate WARN requirements.

§639.3 Definitions.
(a) Employing office.

(1) The term "employing office" means any of the entities listed in section 101(9) of the CAA, 2 U.S.C. §1301(9) that employs--

(i) 100 or more employees, excluding part-time employees; or

(ii) employs 100 or more employees, including part-time employees, who in the aggregate work at least 4,000 hours per week, exclusive of overtime.

Workers on temporary layoff or on leave who have a reasonable expectation of recall are counted as employees. An employee has a "reasonable expectation of recall" when he/she understands, through notification or through common practice, that his/her employment with the employing office has been temporarily interrupted and that he/she will be recalled to the same or to a similar job.

(2) Workers, other than part-time workers, who are exempt from notice under section 4 of WARN, are nonetheless counted as employees for purposes of determining coverage as an employing office.

(3) An employing office may have one or more sites of employment under common control.

(b) Office closing. The term "office closing" means the permanent or temporary shutdown of a "single site of employment", or one or more "facilities or operating units" within a single site of employment, if the shutdown results in an "employment loss" during any 30-day period at the single site of employment for 50 or more employees, excluding any part-time employees. An employment action that results in the effective cessation of the work performed by a unit, even if a few employees remain, is a shutdown. A "temporary shutdown" triggers the notice requirement only if there are a sufficient number of terminations, layoffs exceeding 6 months, or reductions in hours of work as specified under the definition of "employment loss."

(c) Mass layoff.

(1) The term "mass layoff" means a reduction in force which first, is not the result of an office closing, and second, results in an employment loss at the single site of employment during any 30-day period for:

(i) At least 33 percent of the active employees, excluding part-time employees, and

(ii) At least 50 employees, excluding part-time employees.
Where 500 or more employees (excluding part-time employees) are affected, the 33% requirement does not apply, and notice is required if the other criteria are met. Office closings involve employment loss which results from the shutdown of one or more distinct units within a single site or the entire site. A mass layoff involves employment loss, regardless of whether one or more units are shut down at the site.

(2) Workers, other than part-time workers, who are exempt from notice under section 4 of WARN are nonetheless counted as employees for purposes of determining coverage as an office closing or mass layoff. For example, if an employing office closes a temporary project on which 10 permanent and 40 temporary workers are employed, a covered office closing has occurred although only 10 workers are entitled to notice.

(d) Representative. The term "representative" means an exclusive representative of employees within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. §§ 7101 et seq., as applied to covered employees and employing offices by section 220 of the CAA, 2 U.S.C. § 1351.

(e) Affected employees. The term "affected employees" means employees who may reasonably be expected to experience an employment loss as a consequence of a proposed office closing or mass layoff by their employing office. This includes individually identifiable employees who will likely lose their jobs because of bumping rights or other factors, to the extent that such individual workers reasonably can be identified at the time notice is required to be given. The term "affected employees" includes managerial and supervisory employees. Consultant or contract employees who have a separate employment relationship with another employing office or employer and are paid by that other employing office or employer, or who are self-employed, are not "affected employees" of the operations to which they are assigned. In addition, for purposes of determining whether coverage thresholds are met, either incumbent workers in jobs being eliminated or, if known 60 days in advance, the actual employees who suffer an employment loss may be counted.

(f) Employment loss.

(1) The term "employment loss" means (i) an employment termination, other than a discharge for cause, voluntary departure, or retirement, (ii) a layoff exceeding 6 months, or (iii) a reduction in hours of work of individual employees of more than 50% during each month of any 6-month period.

(2) Where a termination or a layoff (see paragraphs (f)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section) is involved, an employment loss does not occur when an employee is reassigned or transferred to employing office-sponsored programs, such as retraining or job search activities, as long as the reassignment does not constitute a constructive discharge or other involuntary termination.

(3) An employee is not considered to have experienced an employment loss if the closing or layoff is the result of the relocation or consolidation of part or all of the employing office's operations and, prior to the closing or layoff--

(i) The employing office offers to transfer the employee to a different site of employment within a reasonable commuting distance with no more than a 6-month break in employment, or

(ii) The employing office offers to transfer the employee to any other site of employment regardless of distance with no more than a 6-month break in employment, and the employee accepts within 30 days of the offer or of the closing or layoff, whichever is later.

(4) A "relocation or consolidation" of part or all of an employing office's operations, for purposes of paragraph § 639.3(f)(3), means that some definable operations are transferred to a different site of employment and that transfer results in an office closing or mass layoff.

(g) Part-time employee. The term "part-time" employee means an employee who is employed for an average of fewer than 20 hours per week or who has been employed for fewer than 6 of the 12 months preceding the date on which notice is required, including workers who work full-time. This term may include workers who would traditionally be understood as "seasonal" employees. The period to be used for calculating whether a worker has worked "an average of fewer than 20 hours per week" is the shorter of the actual time the worker has been employed or the most recent 90 days.

(h) Single site of employment.

(1) A single site of employment can refer to either a single location or a group of contiguous locations. Separate facilities across the street from one another may be considered a single site of employment.

(2) There may be several single sites of employment within a single building, such as an office building, if separate employing offices conduct activities within such a building. For example, an office building housing 50 different employing offices will contain 50 single sites of employment. The offices of each employing office will be its single site of employment.

(3) Separate buildings or areas which are not directly connected or in immediate proximity may be considered a single site of employment if they are in reasonable geographic proximity, used for the same purpose, and share the same staff and equipment.

(4) Non-contiguous sites in the same geographic area which do not share the same staff or operational purpose should not be considered a single site.

(5) Contiguous buildings operated by the same employing office which have separate management and have separate workforces are considered separate single sites of employment.

(6) For workers whose primary duties require travel from point to point, who are outstationed, or whose primary duties involve work outside any of the employing office's regular employment sites (e.g., railroad workers, bus drivers, salespersons), the single site of employment to which they are assigned as their home base, from which their work is assigned, or to which they report will be the single site in which they are covered for WARN purposes.

(7) Foreign sites of employment are not covered under WARN. U.S. workers at such sites are counted to determine whether an employing office is covered as an employing office under §639.3(a).

(8) The term "single site of employment" may also apply to truly unusual organizational situations where the above criteria do not reasonably apply. The application of this definition with the intent to evade the purpose of WARN to provide notice is not acceptable.

(i) Facility or operating unit. The term "facility" refers to a building or buildings. The term "operating unit" refers to an organizationally or operationally distinct product, operation, or specific work function within or across facilities at the single site.

§639.4 Who must give notice?
Section 205(a)(1) of the CAA states that "[n]o employing office shall be closed or a mass layoff ordered within the meaning of section 3 of [WARN] until the end of a 60-day period after the employing office serves written notice of such prospective closing or layoff. . ." Therefore, an employing office that is anticipating carrying out an office closing or mass layoff is required to give notice to affected employees or their representative(s). (See definitions in § 639.3 of this part.).

(a) It is the responsibility of the employing office to decide the most appropriate person within the employing office's organization to prepare and deliver the notice to affected employees or their representative(s). In most instances, this may be the local site office manager, the local personnel director or a labor relations officer.

(b) An employing office that has previously announced and carried out a short-term layoff (6 months or less) which is being extended beyond 6 months due to circumstances not reasonably foreseeable at the time of the initial layoff is required to give notice when it becomes reasonably foreseeable that the extension is required. A layoff extending beyond 6 months from the date the layoff commenced for any other reason shall be treated as an employment loss from the date of its commencement.

(c) In the case of the privatization or sale of part or all of an employing office's operations, the employing office is responsible for providing notice of any office closing or mass layoff which takes place up to and including the effective date (time) of the privatization or sale, and the contractor or buyer is responsible for providing any required notice of any office closing or mass layoff that takes place thereafter.

(1) If the employing office is made aware of any definite plans on the part of the buyer or contractor to carry out an office closing or mass layoff within 60 days of purchase, the employing office may give notice to affected employees as an agent of the buyer or contractor, if so empowered. If the employing office does not give notice, the buyer or contractor is, nevertheless, responsible to give notice. If the employing office gives notice as the agent of the buyer or contractor, the responsibility for notice still remains with the buyer or contractor.

(2) It may be prudent for the buyer or contractor and employing office to determine the impacts of the privatization or sale on workers, and to arrange between them for advance notice to be given to affected employees or their representative(s), if a mass layoff or office closing is planned.

§639.5 When must notice be given?
(a) General rule.

(1) With certain exceptions discussed in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section and in § 639.9 of this part, notice must be given at least 60 calendar days prior to any planned office closing or mass layoff, as defined in these regulations. When all employees are not terminated on the same date, the date of the first individual termination within the statutory 30-day or 90-day period triggers the 60-day notice requirement. A worker's last day of employment is considered the date of that worker's layoff. The first and each subsequent group of terminees are entitled to a full 60 days' notice. In order for an employing office to decide whether issuing notice is required, the employing office should--

(i) Look ahead 30 days and behind 30 days to determine whether employment actions both taken and planned will, in the aggregate for any 30-day period, reach the minimum numbers for an office closing or a mass layoff and thus trigger the notice requirement; and

(ii) Look ahead 90 days and behind 90 days to determine whether employment actions both taken and planned each of which separately is not of sufficient size to trigger WARN coverage will, in the aggregate for any 90-day period, reach the minimum numbers for an office closing or a mass layoff and thus trigger the notice requirement. An employing office is not, however, required under section 3(d) to give notice if the employing office demonstrates that the separate employment losses are the result of separate and distinct actions and causes, and are not an attempt to evade the requirements of WARN.

(2) The point in time at which the number of employees is to be measured for the purpose of determining coverage is the date the first notice is required to be given. If this "snapshot" of the number of employees employed on that date is clearly unrepresentative of the ordinary or average employment level, then a more representative number can be used to determine coverage. Examples of unrepresentative employment levels include cases when the level is near the peak or trough of an employment cycle or when large upward or downward shifts in the number of employees occur around the time notice is to be given. A more representative number may be an average number of employees over a recent period of time or the number of employees on an alternative date which is more representative of normal employment levels. Alternative methods cannot be used to evade the purpose of WARN, and should only be used in unusual circumstances.

(b) Transfers.

(1) Notice is not required in certain cases involving transfers, as described under the definition of "employment loss" at § 639.3(f) of this part.

(2) An offer of reassignment to a different site of employment should not be deemed to be a "transfer" if the new job constitutes a constructive discharge.

(3) The meaning of the term "reasonable commuting distance" will vary with local conditions. In determining what is a "reasonable commuting distance," consideration should be given to the following factors: geographic accessibility of the place of work, the quality of the roads, customarily available transportation, and the usual travel time.

(4) In cases where the transfer is beyond reasonable commuting distance, the employing office may become liable for failure to give notice if an offer to transfer is not accepted within 30 days of the offer or of the closing or layoff (whichever is later). Depending upon when the offer of transfer was made by the employing office, the normal 60-day notice period may have expired and the office closing or mass layoff may have occurred. An employing office is, therefore, well advised to provide 60-day advance notice as part of the transfer offer.

(c) Temporary employment.

(1) No notice is required if the closing is of a temporary facility, or if the closing or layoff is the result of the completion of a particular project or undertaking, and the affected employees were hired with the understanding that their employment was limited to the duration of the facility or the project or undertaking.

(2) Employees must clearly understand at the time of hire that their employment is temporary. When such understandings exist will be determined by reference to employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements, or employment practices of other employing offices or a locality, but the burden of proof will lie with the employing office to show that the temporary nature of the project or facility was clearly communicated should questions arise regarding the temporary employment understandings.

§639.6 Who must receive notice?
Section 3(a) of WARN provides for notice to each representative of the affected employees as of the time notice is required to be given or, if there is no such representative at that time, to each affected employee.

(a) Representative(s) of affected employees. Written notice is to be served upon the chief elected officer of the exclusive representative(s) or bargaining agent(s) of affected employees at the time of the notice. If this person is not the same as the officer of the local union(s) representing affected employees, it is recommended that a copy also be given to the local union official(s).

(b) Affected employees. Notice is required to be given to employees who may reasonably be expected to experience an employment loss. This includes employees who will likely lose their jobs because of bumping rights or other factors, to the extent that such workers can be identified at the time notice is required to be given. If, at the time notice is required to be given, the employing office cannot identify the employee who may reasonably be expected to experience an employment loss due to the elimination of a particular position, the employing office must provide notice to the incumbent in that position. While part-time employees are not counted in determining whether office closing or mass layoff thresholds are reached, such workers are due notice.

§639.7 What must the notice contain?
(a) Notice must be specific.

(1) All notice must be specific.

(2) Where voluntary notice has been given more than 60 days in advance, but does not contain all of the required elements set out in this section, the employing office must ensure that all of the information required by this section is provided in writing to the parties listed in § 639.6 at least 60 days in advance of a covered employment action.

(3) Notice may be given conditional upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event only when the event is definite and the consequences of its occurrence or nonoccurrence will necessarily, in the normal course of operations, lead to a covered office closing or mass layoff less than 60 days after the event. The notice must contain each of the elements set out in this section.

(4) The information provided in the notice shall be based on the best information available to the employing office at the time the notice is served. It is not the intent of the regulations that errors in the information provided in a notice that occur because events subsequently change or that are minor, inadvertent errors are to be the basis for finding a violation of WARN.

(b) As used in this section, the term "date" refers to a specific date or to a 14-day period during which a separation or separations are expected to occur. If separations are planned according to a schedule, the schedule should indicate the specific dates on which or the beginning date of each 14-day period during which any separations are expected to occur. Where a 14-day period is used, notice must be given at least 60 days in advance of the first day of the period.

(c) Notice to each representative of affected employees is to contain:

(1) The name and address of the employment site where the office closing or mass layoff will occur, and the name and telephone number of an employing office official to contact for further information;

(2) A statement as to whether the planned action is expected to be permanent or temporary and, if the entire office is to be closed, a statement to that effect;

(3) The expected date of the first separation and the anticipated schedule for making separations;

(4) The job titles of positions to be affected and the names of the workers currently holding affected jobs.
The notice may include additional information useful to the employees such as information on available dislocated worker assistance, and, if the planned action is expected to be temporary, the estimated duration, if known.

(d) Notice to each affected employee who does not have a representative is to be written in language understandable to the employees and is to contain:

(1) A statement as to whether the planned action is expected to be permanent or temporary and, if the entire office is to be closed, a statement to that effect;

(2) The expected date when the office closing or mass layoff will commence and the expected date when the individual employee will be separated;

(3) An indication whether or not bumping rights exist;

(4) The name and telephone number of an employing office official to contact for further information.

The notice may include additional information useful to the employees such as information on available dislocated worker assistance, and, if the planned action is expected to be temporary, the estimated duration, if known.

§639.8 How is the notice served?
Any reasonable method of delivery to the parties listed under § 639.6 of this part which is designed to ensure receipt of notice of at least 60 days before separation is acceptable (e.g., first class mail, personal delivery with optional signed receipt). In the case of notification directly to affected employees, insertion of notice into pay envelopes is another viable option. A ticketed notice, i.e., preprinted notice regularly included in each employee's pay check or pay envelope, does not meet the requirements of WARN.

§639.9 When may notice be given less than 60 days in advance?
Section 3(b) of WARN, as applied by section 205 of the CAA, sets forth two conditions under which the notification period may be reduced to less than 60 days. The employing office bears the burden of proof that conditions for the exceptions have been met. If one of the exceptions is applicable, the employing office must give as much notice as is practicable to the union and non-represented employees and this may, in some circumstances, be notice after the fact. The employing office must, at the time notice actually is given, provide a brief statement of the reason for reducing the notice period, in addition to the other elements set out in § 639.7.

(a) The "unforeseeable business circumstances" exception under section 3(b)(2)(A) of WARN, as applied under the CAA, applies to office closings and mass layoffs caused by circumstances that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time that 60-day notice would have been required.

(1) An important indicator of a circumstance that is not reasonably foreseeable is that the circumstance is caused by some sudden, dramatic, and unexpected action or condition outside the employing office's control.

(2) The test for determining when circumstances are not reasonably foreseeable focuses on an employing office's business judgment. The employing office must exercise such reasonable business judgment as would a similarly situated employing office in predicting the demands of its operations. The employing office is not required, however, to accurately predict general economic conditions that also may affect its operations.

(b) The "natural disaster" exception in section 3(b)(2)(B) of WARN applies to office closings and mass layoffs due to any form of a natural disaster.

(1) Floods, earthquakes, droughts, storms, tidal waves or tsunamis and similar effects of nature are natural disasters under this provision.

(2) To qualify for this exception, an employing office must be able to demonstrate that its office closing or mass layoff is a direct result of a natural disaster.

(3) While a disaster may preclude full or any advance notice, such notice as is practicable, containing as much of the information required in § 639.7 as is available in the circumstances of the disaster still must be given, whether in advance or after the fact of an employment loss caused by a natural disaster.

(4) Where an office closing or mass layoff occurs as an indirect result of a natural disaster, the exception does not apply but the "unforeseeable business circumstance" exception described in paragraph (a) of this section may be applicable.

§639.10 When may notice be extended?
Additional notice is required when the date or schedule of dates of a planned office closing or mass layoff is extended beyond the date or the ending date of any 14-day period announced in the original notice as follows:

(a) If the postponement is for less than 60 days, the additional notice should be given as soon as possible to the parties identified in § 639.6 and should include reference to the earlier notice, the date (or 14-day period) to which the planned action is postponed, and the reasons for the postponement. The notice should be given in a manner which will provide the information to all affected employees.

(b) If the postponement is for 60 days or more, the additional notice should be treated as new notice subject to the provisions of §§ 639.5, 639.6 and 639.7 of this part. Rolling notice, in the sense of routine periodic notice, given whether or not an office closing or mass layoff is impending, and with the intent to evade the purpose of the Act rather than give specific notice as required by WARN, is not acceptable.

§639.11 Duration of Interim Regulations
These interim regulations for the House, the Senate and the employing offices of the instrumentalities are effective on January 23, 1996 or on the dates upon which appropriate resolutions are passed, whichever is later. The interim regulations shall expire on April 15, 1996 or on the dates on which appropriate resolutions concerning the Board's final regulations are passed by the House and the Senate, whichever is earlier.

 

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