Under Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 (WARN), Tennessee employers are required to send a written notice to the Dislocated Worker Unit 60 days in advance of a plant closure or mass layoff. Tennessee Code annotated (TCA 50-1-601) requires such notice when 50 or more workers are affected, versus the 100 required by federal guidelines.
The Dislocated Worker Unit generates the required WARN Notification Letters which are distributed to the highest elected local official, the Local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (LWDA) Executive Director, the Governor’s designated cabinet members, certain federally elected representatives and others in need of this information. Area Dislocated Worker coordinators are notified of impending layoffs or closures. The coordinators then contact the company and other members of the Rapid Response team within 48 hours to set up an initial meeting.
We are here to help transition your employees during a layoff or plant closure. We serve both workers and employers. Tennessee’s Rapid Response Team assists dislocated workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Workers who lose their jobs because of permanent business closures or mass layoffs, adverse economic or trade conditions, or as a result of natural or man-made disasters can be assisted. The Rapid Response team helps employees during layoffs by providing information about retraining, job opportunities, unemployment insurance benefits as well as local, state, and federal services. Orientation for your employees include: Presentations to employees on available services Reemployment prospects Information on unemployment insurance benefits, Tennessee American Job Center services, employment, and training activities, and labor market information Trade Adjustment Assistance program Adult education, skills upgrading, high school equivalency preparation, and testing.