Layoffs in Maine

Notice rules

Under the federal WARN Act, employers with 100 or more employees generally must give 60 days’ written notice before a plant closing or mass layoff.

Maine has its own rules (Maine severance and closing notice law):

• Applies to facilities that have employed 100 or more people at any time in the previous 12 months.
• An employer closing or relocating such a facility (100 or more miles away) must notify the state Department of Labor director, employees and municipal officers in writing at least 90 days before.
• Workers employed there continuously for at least 3 years, and not terminated for cause, are owed severance of one week’s pay for each year of employment.

Source: Title 26, §625-B: Severance pay due to closing, substantial shutdown or relocation of a covered establishment, Maine Legislature (Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, § 625-B). Checked October 11, 2026.

Where to get help

• File for unemployment in Maine official state site
• Find an American Job Center near you job-search and training help (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor)
• Maine’s Rapid Response team state help for workers after a layoff (U.S. Department of Labor directory)
• Every Maine WARN notice as filed with the state
• What to do in your first week