Home Depot recently announced layoffs affecting almost 800 workers at its Georgia locations. In response, law firm Strauss Borrelli PLLC has launched an investigation of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice that the company issued to state officials on January 28, 2026. The WARN Act notice states that Home Depot will begin layoffs on March 31, 2026.
The WARN Act is a federal law that requires employers to give employees, their representatives, and certain state officials at least 60 calendar days’ written notice before any mass layoff or facility closure occurs. Congress passed the WARN Act in 1988, making it applicable to all employers with 100 or more employees. The purpose of the WARN Act is to give employees notice of job losses, allow them to seek new employment, and pursue any available retraining opportunities.
Generally, employers must issue WARN Act notices to employees in the event of a layoff or a cut in hours of 50% or more over six months due to a plant closing or mass layoff. Temporary layoffs or reductions in hours that last more than six months may violate the WARN Act.
Employers who run afoul of the WARN Act by providing insufficient or late WARN Act notices may be liable for paying employees back pay and benefits for any periods of violation.
The law firm reportedly wants to ensure that Home Depot complied with the WARN Act. Home Depot had no comment other than to maintain that it fully complied with all requirements of the WARN Act.
Some sources report that the Home Depot layoffs are part of a larger company restructuring aimed at returning employees to offices full-time. According to other sources, the home improvement giant is responding to weak consumer demand following recent layoffs in Tennessee and Missouri. At least one source points to the company’s increasing investment in artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
HBL has experience in all areas of benefits and employment law, offering a comprehensive solution to all your business benefits and HR/employment needs. We help ensure you are in compliance with the complex requirements of ERISA and the IRS code, as well as those laws that impact you and your employees. Together, we reduce your exposure to potential legal or financial penalties. Learn more by calling 470-571-1007.
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