With New Jersey's WARN Act amendments set to take effect in April, employers planning layoffs will face new challenges in the form of expanded definitions, longer notice periods and mandatory severance obligations, observers said.

Almost three years after signing what is known as New Jersey's "mini-WARN Act"—officially called the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act—Gov. Phil Murphy signed A4768 Jan. 10, which permits a new set of amendments to the law to take effect April 10. (New Jersey's law is referred to as the "mini-WARN Act" to distinguish it from the federal WARN Act.)