Another law taking effect on October 1 is in the state of Maryland. The state’s Mini-WARN act, which Governor Larry Hogan allowed to become law without his signature back in May of this year. Senate bill 780, which now mandates compliance with the formerly voluntary Maryland Economic Stabilization Act, requires that employers that implement a “reduction in operations” to provide advance written notification of the reduction to affected employees. The law, which is similar to the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act from which it gets it name), applies to all employers with at least 50 employees operating a business in the state of Maryland for at least one year with at least 50 employees. The law provides that when a covered employer implements a reduction in operations (some exceptions apply), the notice requirement is triggered and the employer must then provide at least 60 days of advance written notice of the reduction to all employees at the workplace, any exclusive labor or bargaining agent that represents the employees as well as the Maryland Workforce Development’s Dislocated Worker Unite and all elected officials in the jurisdiction when the workplace is located. The Maryland Secretary of Labor is empowered to impose penalties for violations up to $10,000 per day an employer is not in compliance.