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Maine WARN Act: who is covered and how much notice

Maine has its own layoff notice law on top of the federal WARN Act. This is what it says, read from the state’s own pages as of 2026-10-27, with the sources.

The rule

Applies to a covered establishment: a facility that employs, or has at any time in the preceding 12 months employed, 100 or more persons. For a closing, the employer must give the director of the Bureau of Labor Standards, the employees and the municipal officers written notice not less than 90 days ahead; the director can waive the employee and municipal notice. Employees with at least 3 years at the establishment who are not fired for cause are owed severance of one week’s pay for each year of service, with partial pay for a partial year.

How it differs from the federal rule

Mandatory severance and 90 days’ notice, neither of which the federal Act has. It also covers moving all or substantially all operations 100 or more miles away. For a mass layoff, the employer tells the director as far ahead as practicable and no later than 7 days after the layoff. A notice violation is a civil violation with a fine of $500 a day.

Check: The statute text read shows amendments through P.L. 2023, c. 52. Later changes were not checked.

This is general information, not legal advice. The federal WARN Act applies in every state as well; see the WARN Act in plain language.

Sources

Maine WARN Act questions

Does Maine have its own WARN Act?
Yes. Applies to a covered establishment: a facility that employs, or has at any time in the preceding 12 months employed, 100 or more persons. For a closing, the employer must give the director of the Bureau of Labor Standards, the employees and the municipal officers written notice not less than 90 days ahead; the director can waive the employee and municipal notice. Employees with at least 3 years at the establishment who are not fired for cause are owed severance of one week’s pay for each year of service, with partial pay for a partial year.
How is Maine's rule different from the federal WARN Act?
Mandatory severance and 90 days’ notice, neither of which the federal Act has. It also covers moving all or substantially all operations 100 or more miles away. For a mass layoff, the employer tells the director as far ahead as practicable and no later than 7 days after the layoff. A notice violation is a civil violation with a fine of $500 a day.
How many days of notice does Maine require?
90 days is the longest notice period the state's law sets for the employer's notice. The federal Act requires 60 days, and the federal rule applies in every state.

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