Which act requires advance notice for plant closings or mass layoffs?

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, commonly referred to as the WARN Act, is the legislation that mandates employers to provide advance notice of plant closings and mass layoffs. This act is designed to protect workers, their families, and communities by ensuring they have enough time to prepare for the unemployment consequences of job loss. Under the WARN Act, employers are required to give employees a 60-day notice when there is a plant closing or a mass layoff affecting a significant number of employees. This advance notice allows workers to seek new employment opportunities or make necessary adjustments in their lives.

The other acts mentioned focus on different areas. For instance, the Family and Medical Leave Act provides employees with job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons, but it does not address mass layoffs or plant closings. The Drug-Free Workplace Act mandates that certain federal contractors and grantees maintain a drug-free environment but does not pertain to employment terminations due to layoffs. The Older Worker Benefit Protection Act is aimed at protecting older workers from age discrimination in benefit plans and does not involve advance notice for layoffs. Thus, the WARN Act stands out as the correct response to the requirement for notification regarding plant closings and layoffs.