New York State Requires Employers to Disclose AI-Related Layoffs
New York is the first state to require employers to disclose when AI influences mass layoffs under its Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The federal WARN Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to give 60 days’ notice for layoffs affecting at least 50 workers at a single location, but New York’s WARN Act goes further, applying to companies with 50 or more employees and requiring disclosure for layoffs involving at least 25 workers or a third of the workforce at one site.
The new state requirement aims to track the impact of AI-driven workforce changes. It is expected to provide data for understanding how AI adoption affects jobs and to help inform reskilling and upskilling efforts. However, questions remain about how to define AI-related layoffs and how effectively employers will report this information.
HR professionals should take note of this expanded mandate and its potential implications for compliance, workforce planning, and transparency efforts.
SHRM remains committed to equipping workplaces with the tools and resources needed to comply with AI regulations, as well as research and tools to help upskill and reskill today’s workers to meet the demands of the future of work.
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