Strauss Borrelli PLLC, a Chicago-based class action law firm, says it is investigating Champion Laboratories Inc. following the closure at the company’s Albion facility to determine whether federal notification requirements were met.
According to the firm, Champion Laboratories notified the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity on February 23rd of its decision to conduct a mass layoff in Albion. The investigation focuses on the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which generally requires covered employers to provide employees and certain government entities at least 60 days’ written notice before a plant closing or mass layoff takes effect.
Strauss Borrelli says it is reviewing whether Champion Laboratories provided sufficient notice before laying off 642 employees. If the company is found to have violated the WARN Act, the firm says affected workers could be entitled to up to 60 days of back pay, severance, and benefits.
The WARN Act, passed by Congress in 1988, typically applies to employers with 100 or more employees and is intended to give workers and families time to prepare for job loss, seek new employment, or pursue retraining. The law can also apply in certain cases where hours are cut significantly or layoffs that are described as temporary extend beyond six months.
Former Champion Laboratories employees who were impacted by the layoffs are encouraged by the firm to contact Strauss Borrelli to discuss their rights and potential legal remedies. The firm can be reached at 872-263-1100 or sam@straussborrelli.com.