A planned mass layoff at Tyson Foods’ Fort Worth Distribution Center is drawing legal scrutiny after documents show employees may not have received the advance notice required under federal law.
According to a recent update from the Texas Workforce Commission, Tyson Foods notified the state on June 18, 2025, that it would lay off 275 employees from its Fort Worth facility, with an effective date of August 15, 2025. That timing puts the notification just shy of the 60-day advance warning required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.
Now, the website for Strauss Borrelli PLLC, a class action law firm, says they are investigating whether Tyson violated federal law. A June 20 post on the firm website read: “We believe Tyson Foods’ employees may be entitled to 60 days of severance pay and benefits.”
The WARN Act, passed by Congress in 1988, requires large employers to provide 60 days’ written notice before significant layoffs or plant closures. The law aims to cushion the economic blow to workers and communities by giving employees time to seek other employment or training opportunities.
“Employers who do not follow the WARN Act rules, either by giving notice too late or providing unclear notices, may have to pay employees back pay and benefits for the time they were in violation,” the firm said.
Tyson has not publicly responded to the investigation. The layoffs in Fort Worth follow a series of workforce reductions across Tyson’s national operations, including the closure of its Emporia, Kansas, plant earlier this year. In that case, the company notified the Kansas Department of Commerce on February 14 that it would keep 434 workers on past the plant’s official closure date, with some receiving extensions of up to 133 days, local outlet KSN reported.
“There is no union at this location, and affected team members do not have ‘bumping rights,’” Tyson reportedly wrote in the Emporia notice. “In other words, affected team members do not have the right to take another team member’s job.”
Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, produces approximately 20% of the nation’s beef, pork, and chicken and operates well-known brands including Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, and BallPark, according to the company’s website.
Strauss Borrelli is encouraging Fort Worth’s affected workers to reach out and explore potential legal remedies. “If you or someone you know was laid off by Tyson Foods (Fort Worth Distribution Center), we would like to speak with you,” the notice reads.
The situation adds to the mounting public pressure Tyson is facing as it navigates financial headwinds and reorganizes operations across multiple states. Whether the company will face legal consequences for its timing in Texas remains to be seen.
Tyson was contacted for comment but did not immediately respond.