Governor Newsom just signed Senate Bill 617 into law on October 1, 2025, expanding California’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (Cal-WARN) Act. As a reminder, the WARN Act requires employers to give 60-days’ notice before a mass layoff, plant closure, or relocation. In addition, employers must notify employees and both state and local representatives. This helps workers prepare for job loss, find new jobs, or train for new opportunities.
This new law adds important content and coordination requirements for employers conducting mass layoffs, relocations, or terminations in California.
Here are five key takeaways for employers:
1. New Required Disclosures in Cal-WARN Notices
Under SB 617, employers must now include specific information in their 60-day advance notices for any mass layoff, relocation, or termination.
The notice must state whether the employer plans to coordinate services for affected employees through:
- The local workforce development board (LWDB),
- Another entity, or
- No entity at all.
Regardless of coordination, the notice must also include:
- The email and phone number for the relevant LWDB, and
- The following required statement:
“Local Workforce Development Boards and their partners help laid off workers find new jobs. Visit an America’s Job Center of California location near you. You can get help with your resume, practice interviewing, search for jobs, and more. You can also learn about training programs to help start a new career.”
2. CalFresh Information Must Be Included
Employers must now include a description of California’s statewide food assistance program (CalFresh) in every Cal-WARN notice.
This means providing:
- A short description of CalFresh,
- The CalFresh benefits helpline, and
- A link to the CalFresh website.
This new requirement is intended to ensure that displaced employees are aware of public assistance resources during a transition.
3. Employers Must Provide Their Own Contact Information
Each notice must include a functioning employer email and telephone number for employees and agencies to contact.
This seems minor, but it’s a new explicit requirement — and a simple item that could create compliance risk if omitted.
4. Coordination of Services Must Happen Within 30 Days
If an employer chooses to coordinate services through a local workforce development board or another entity, those services must be arranged within 30 days from the date the notice is issued.
This means employers need to identify the LWDB and plan any “rapid response” sessions early in the process — not at the last minute.
5. Effective January 1, 2026
The new law takes effect on January 1, 2026. In addition to the new content, remember that Cal-WARN continues to apply to employers with a “covered establishment” that employs or has employed in the preceding 12 months, 75 or more full and part-time employees. Generally, Cal-WARN applies when:
- Plant closure affecting any amount of employees.
- Layoff of 50 or more employees within a 30-day period regardless of the percentage of workforce.
- Relocation of at least 100 miles affecting any amount of employees.
Failure to comply can result in back-pay liability and civil penalties.
Final Thoughts
SB 617 doesn’t change when Cal-WARN applies, but it does change how employers must communicate with employees and agencies during a layoff or closure.
Join Us for Our Upcoming Masterclass
Zaller Law Group will be hosting a masterclass on October 30, 2025, covering the new employment laws facing California employers in 2026, including SB 642 and other key updates signed by Governor Newsom.
We’ll break down what these changes mean in practice and provide actionable steps to stay compliant heading into the new year. Registration for the masterclass is here.