On July 1, 2010, the Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act came into effect providing additional protections for workers facing layoffs. The law represents a well-deserved victory for advocates who have proposed such legislation during a number of legislative sessions over the past fifteen years. The present law was passed by the state House of Representatives on January 27 and the Iowa Senate on March 10 and then signed into law by Governor Chet Culver on March 22, 2010. By its terms, the law was to take effect on July 1.
Iowa's law expands protections to workers beyond those provided by the federal WARN Act. The statute requires employers of twenty-five or more workers to give thirty days advance notice to employees when undertaking a worksite closing or mass layoff affecting twenty-five or more workers. The law also contains a ninety day aggregation period similar to federal law. Notice must also be provided to union representatives and the Iowa Department of Workforce Development.
The Iowa WARN Act is enforced by the state's Department of Workforce Development.
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