WARN Reporting & Services




Get The Information You Need

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 Contacts
  • WARN Downloads

You can view WARN layoff data by visiting the WARN Layoff Search page: 


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WARN Layoff

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.


Submit a WARN Notice
WARN correspondence should be submitted by email.  If you are unable to submit via email, the notice should be mailed to Illinois’ Office of Employment and Training.
By Email:
John Ray (john.ray@illinois.gov)
Office: 217.558.2432

By Mail:
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Office of Employment and Training
Attention: John Ray
607 East Adams Street, 3rd Floor
Springfield, IL 62701

WARN Notice Correspondence:
Notifications of plant closings or mass layoffs from employers to the State Rapid Response Coordinator must contain the:

  • Name and address of the employment site where the plant closing, or mass layoff will occur;
  • Employer’s federal identification number or FEIN, for the dislocating company;
  • Nature of the planned action, (i.e. whether it is a plant closing or mass layoff and whether or not the employment loss will be temporary or permanent);
  • Reason for the plant closing or mass layoff. Please indicate if impacted workers are energy workers or workers adversely affected by foreign imports or job shifts to a foreign country as they may be eligible for additional assistance;
  • Expected date of the first separation, and the anticipated schedule for any further separations;
  • Job titles of positions to be affected, and the number of affected employees in each job classification (for multiple sites, list per site);
  • Number of full-time employees at the location;
  • A statement as to the existence of bumping rights, if any exist;
  • Name of each union representing affected employees (if applicable), and the name and address of the chief elected officer of each union. If none, please state; and
  • Name, address, email, and telephone number of a company official to contact for additional information.
Illinois WARN Complaints

To file a complaint regarding the Illinois WARN Act, please contact:

Illinois Department of Labor
Lincoln Tower Plaza
524 South Second Street, Suite 400
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 782-1710

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).


Rapid Response Services
​Upon submission of WARN correspondence, the State Dislocated Worker Unit will reach out to the employer contact to coordinate Rapid Response workshops. These workshops provide information to workers and employers about employment and retraining services designed to help impacted workers retain employment when feasible or obtain re-employment as soon as possible. If there is an alternative employer contact to coordinate Rapid Response services, please include in the WARN correspondence. 

IL WARN Contacts

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

Kelly Lapetino
Northern Illinois
Kelly.Lapetino@illinois.gov

Annamarie Dorr 
Central Illinois
Annamarie.Dorr@illinois.gov 

Bryan Ellis 
Southern Illinois

Reporters, please contact:

Emily Bolton
Media Relations Director
Emily.Bolton@illinois.gov

Unemployment Insurance
Illinois' unemployment insurance program is managed by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. To apply for unemployment insurance, please visit ides.illinois.gov/unemployment.


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