In a ruling of first impression by the federal appeals courts, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the COVID-19 pandemic does not qualify as a “natural disaster” excusing an employer’s failure to comply with the notice requirements of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. And while only binding within the jurisdiction of the Fifth Circuit, the decision has significant implications for COVID-related WARN Act litigation pending within the other federal appeals courts.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.