Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

You’re better off leaving than driving in over an hour of traffic to sit in a third world call center environment

Sadly…. Att and HR know how to cut people and minimize costs… its horrible…love how they claim “people are our most important asset”. Sadly, we know better… their actions speak volumes….T used to be a great place to work and thrive…

They don’t have to give you 90 days notice if they give you less like in our case 2 weeks we were given extra severance pay as a penalty the company took.

The issue is you can’t say you are going to relocate and then change your mind, and except to be given compensation via the layoff.

Yes, under the New Jersey WARN Act (also known as the Mini-WARN Act), the 90-day aggregation period for considering multiple groups of layoffs as related includes both past (backward) and future (forward) layoffs.
This creates what is often described as a rolling 90-day window. When determining whether a mass layoff threshold is met (e.g., 50 or more employees terminated in a 30-day period at an establishment), employers must aggregate employment losses from two or more groups occurring within any 90-day period. This means looking both backward 90 days from a planned or occurring layoff and forward 90 days to see if the total combined layoffs would trigger the requirements.
Key Details from the Law and Guidance
• The statute (N.J. Stat. § 34:21-1 et seq., as amended) states that terminations for two or more groups at a single establishment (now broadly defined to include statewide locations in many cases) within any 90-day period are aggregated unless the employer can prove the groups had separate and distinct causes (not an attempt to evade the law).
• Legal analyses and employer guidance consistently describe this as requiring employers to consider layoffs looking 90 days backward and 90 days forward from any given employment loss date.
• This mirrors the federal WARN Act’s aggregation rule, which explicitly uses a rolling approach (past and future), and NJ’s enhanced version adopts similar language for its 90-day provision.
• For example, if an employer conducts a small layoff today, they must assess whether planned future layoffs within the next 90 days (or recent past ones) would push the total over the threshold when combined.
This rule prevents employers from staggering or “rolling” layoffs to avoid triggering notice, severance, and other obligations (like 90 days’ advance notice and mandatory severance pay of 1 week per year of service, plus penalties for insufficient notice).
Since you’re in Freehold, NJ, if this relates to a specific situation (e.g., AT&T or another employer), note that the NJ Department of Labor updates WARN archives regularly, but the aggregation applies regardless of public filings. For the most accurate advice on a particular case, consulting an employment lawyer or the NJDOL Rapid Response team is recommended, as interpretations can depend on exact facts.

I’m aware of a layoff impacting NJ employees in both Middletown and Bedminster during 1Q of 26.

ATT has not filed a WARN notice with the state for 2026.

This means that the layoff is under 50 employees, or they will violate the law.

It’s a good opportunity for anyone with greater than 25 years to receive additional severance as the law requires.

Keep your eye on the number 50 and remember there’s a 90 day period future and history. If the layoff is in March it includes January through May.

No, AT&T has not filed any New Jersey WARN notices for 2026 based on available public records.
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development maintains public archives of WARN notices, including a dedicated PDF for the 2026 WARN Notice Archive. This lists filings received so far in 2026, covering companies such as:
• The Fresh Market (Montvale, effective 4/12/26, affecting an unspecified number of employees)
• International Real Estate Partners US Corp (New Providence, effective 3/31/2026, affecting 61 employees)
• Lifetime Brands (and others in early 2026 postings)
AT&T (or any variations like AT&T Inc., AT&T Services, etc.) does not appear in the 2026 archive or related summaries. The archive is updated as new notices are filed, and as of the current date (January 12, 2026), no such filing exists for AT&T in New Jersey.
For context:
• New Jersey’s WARN Act (an enhanced version of the federal law) requires covered employers to provide advance notice (typically 90 days) for qualifying mass layoffs or plant closings, and these are publicly archived on the NJDOL site.
• Historical WARN data shows AT&T has filed notices in New Jersey in prior years (e.g., included in multi-state filings up to 2025), but nothing for 2026.
• Broader searches for AT&T layoffs in NJ for 2026 (including news, announcements, or discussions) also yield no relevant WARN-related results.
If a filing occurs later in the year, it would appear in the ongoing archive: NJ 2026 WARN Notice Archive PDF.
If you’re tracking this for employment or other reasons, I recommend periodically checking the NJDOL Layoffs and Closings page directly or contacting their Rapid Response team for the most up-to-date info.

“ I was rated is the top 5% and still got cut“

Oh honey, no you weren’t.

So many things stated in the original comment aren’t true. If you tell the company you are moving that is a commitment you can’t change your mind and expect compensation. Others before you in nj have tried and lost. They don’t have to give you 3 months notification in nj they just have to give you extra severance like they did for my peers and myself. Don’t say getting rid if dead wood etc., because that is only what you say to make yourself feel better. I was rated is the top 5% and still got cut. They do what they want and know who’s going to be cut months and months ahead.

And if you believe this new complex is something you asked for you are really drinking the cool aid.

Here come the NJ WARN nerds again.

Company management is slimmy ba----ds!! They will play the law to their advantage.

They will layoff 49 people every 91 days, to avoid triggering WARN.

Let me clarify and directly answer your specific question based on the current NJ WARN Act (effective since the 2023 amendments, unchanged as of January 11, 2026).
Your question restated for clarity: If you reply “yes” to AT&T’s offer, relocate (or continue employment in NJ for the offered 6–18 months), remain employed during that period, and are then laid off later — and if that later layoff affects more than 50 employees in New Jersey within the relevant 90-day aggregation period — does the NJ WARN Act guarantee you (and others) mandatory severance for that future layoff?

Yes, the NJ WARN Act would guarantee mandatory severance for the future layoff if it independently qualifies as a covered event (mass layoff, termination of operations, or transfer of operations) impacting 50+ employees at or reporting to establishments in New Jersey.
Why Severance Would Apply to the Future Layoff
• The NJ WARN Act (N.J.S.A. 34:21-1 et seq.) requires mandatory severance (1 week of pay per full year of service, based on the higher of your average rate over the last 3 years or final regular rate) for any employee terminated as part of a covered triggering event — regardless of whether the employer gives the full 90 days’ advance notice.
• This severance is automatic and event-specific: It attaches to the termination resulting from the covered mass layoff or other trigger.
• Accepting the initial relocation offer and continuing employment for 6–18 months does not forfeit or waive your right to this severance if a later, separate qualifying layoff occurs.
• Your prior service years (including time before and after the relocation) would count toward calculating the severance amount, as it’s based on total years worked for the employer.
• The key is whether the future termination meets the thresholds:
◦ Employer is covered (AT&T qualifies: 100+ employees nationwide, operating in NJ >3 years).
◦ The layoff is a “mass layoff” (reduction in force terminating 50+ employees in NJ, aggregated over 30 days or up to 90 days if related).
◦ It affects employees in New Jersey (the 50+ threshold is NJ-specific; out-of-state impacts don’t count toward it).
If those conditions are met for the later layoff, NJ WARN requires the employer to pay the mandatory severance to affected NJ employees, including you (if you’re still NJ-based/reported at the time of termination).
Important Distinctions
• The initial relocation offer itself is likely structured to avoid triggering NJ WARN right now (e.g., by offering continued employment/transfer rather than outright termination). If you accept and keep working, there’s no “termination of employment” at that stage — so no automatic severance from the initial event.
• However, that doesn’t “use up” or eliminate your protections for a future qualifying event. The law doesn’t have a provision that accepting a relocation bars future claims.
• If the future layoff does not hit the 50+ NJ threshold (e.g., fewer NJ employees affected), then NJ WARN wouldn’t apply, and severance would depend on AT&T’s voluntary policy (like the 6 months you mentioned for decliners).
This is a common strategy in national restructurings (like AT&T’s ongoing changes): Offer relocation/continued employment to avoid immediate triggers, but future reductions can still trigger state laws like NJ’s if they meet the criteria.
This is not legal advice — specifics matter (e.g., exact number of NJ-impacted employees in the future layoff, your role/location after relocation, how the offer is worded). Review your emails/offers carefully and consult a New Jersey employment attorney (or the NJ DOL Rapid Response team at RapidResponse@dol.nj.gov or 1-800-343-3919) for personalized guidance. They can help assess if the overall restructuring might be viewed as one event or if litigation (common for NJ WARN) could apply. Let me know if you want help finding resources or have more details!