Bloomberg: New York State Updates WARN Notices to Identify Layoffs Tied to AI

June 12, 2025—In March 2025, New York became the first U.S. state to require employers to specify when artificial intelligence plays a role in mass layoffs. Though the change is small—just a checkbox on a mandatory employer form filed 90 days before mass layoffs—it carries major symbolic weight. It marks the first official effort to track, and potentially regulate, the influence of AI on the labor market.

Onwards HR CEO Sarah Rodehorst recently spoke to Bloomberg about the potential impact of this update on organizations.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“There’s real reputational risk in explicitly attributing a layoff to AI or automation, especially with growing public scrutiny around the impact of AI on jobs. Once a WARN notice becomes public, so does the narrative.”

Subscribers can access the full Bloomberg article.

Read more about NY WARN Act Requirements.