Disney Imagineering Layoffs in Glendale: Your Rights Under WARN

Disney told California on October 27, 2026 that it will lay off 159 employees in Glendale, effective December 29, 2026. The notice, on the Employment Development Department's WARN report, is filed under the name Walt Disney Parks & Resorts US, Inc. at 1401 Flower Street and listed as a permanent layoff. Deadline reported on October 28 that Disney laid off between 100 and 200 people in its Experiences division, which includes the theme parks, resorts and cruise lines, with the bulk at the Imagineering campus in Glendale.

According to Deadline, the cuts follow a voluntary early retirement offer to employees at or above the director level who were 50 or older with at least 10 years at the company, and earlier Disney layoffs in April, July and September. If you received a notice, here are the California rules on notice, final pay, severance and selection, and what to check.

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What the WARN notice means

California's WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400 to 1408) covers any industrial or commercial facility that employs, or has employed in the past 12 months, 75 or more people, called a covered establishment. A mass layoff is a layoff of 50 or more employees there in any 30-day period, and a layoff is a separation for lack of funds or lack of work.

The employer must give written notice 60 days before the layoff takes effect to the affected employees, the EDD, the local workforce development board and the chief elected officials of the city and county. Under Senate Bill 617, notices in 2026 must also say whether the employer will coordinate rapid response services, describe the CalFresh food program with its helpline and website, and give a working email and phone number for the employer and for the workforce board.

An employer that fails to notify employees owes each one back pay, at the higher of their three-year average rate or final rate, plus lost benefits, for the period of the violation, up to 60 days or half the days they worked there, whichever is smaller (section 1402). Missing the notice to state and local officials carries a civil penalty of up to $500 a day, unless the employer pays employees what it owes within three weeks. A court may award attorney's fees to an employee who wins (section 1404). The federal WARN Act (29 U.S.C. 2101 to 2104) sets a similar 60-day rule for employers with 100 or more employees, not counting part-time workers.

Do the Disney dates clear 60 days?

The EDD report lists a notice date of October 27 and an effective date of December 29, 2026. That is 63 days, so the public dates clear the 60-day minimum. The report cannot show when each employee received written notice, so keep yours with its date. Our post on the Uber layoffs in Chicago covers the Illinois version.

Your final paycheck

When an employer ends your job, wages earned and unpaid are due immediately (Labor Code 201), and the Labor Commissioner counts a layoff as a discharge. Vested vacation is paid as wages at your final rate, and no policy can forfeit it (Labor Code 227.3); the Labor Commissioner applies the same rule to paid time off. If an employer willfully pays late, your daily wages continue as a penalty for up to 30 days (Labor Code 203).

These wages are owed whether or not you sign a severance agreement: an employer cannot require a release of a claim for wages it has not paid. Check your final stub against your vacation balance.

The severance agreement and release

No California law requires severance pay; the Labor Commissioner tells employees to look to the employer's policy. Many employers pay severance in exchange for a release of claims, as the EEOC notes, and our guide on whether to sign a severance agreement covers the basics. California adds two rules in Government Code section 12964.5:

• The employer must tell you that you have the right to consult an attorney and give you at least five business days to do so. Signing sooner must be knowing and voluntary, not pushed by a threat to withdraw the offer.
• The agreement cannot bar you from disclosing information about unlawful acts in the workplace, and a non-disparagement or confidentiality clause must say so in plain terms. The severance amount can still be kept confidential.

Look for a paragraph citing Civil Code section 1542. By default, a California release does not reach claims you do not know or suspect exist when you sign, if knowing them would have materially affected the deal. Waiving section 1542 gives that up, so the release also covers claims you have not discovered yet.

If you are 40 or older

The federal Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 626(f)) sets minimum terms for releasing federal age claims: plain language, a specific reference to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, something of value you were not already owed, and written advice to consult an attorney. In a group layoff or exit incentive program you get at least 45 days to consider it (21 days otherwise) and 7 days after signing to revoke, and the agreement takes effect only after those 7 days.

For a group program, the employer must also tell you in writing which group was considered (the "decisional unit," in EEOC guidance), the eligibility factors and time limits, the job titles and ages of everyone eligible or selected, and the ages of those in the same job classification or unit who were not.

Voluntary early retirement offers are lawful: federal age law permits a voluntary early retirement incentive plan consistent with its purposes. The EEOC calls a voluntary program offering extra pay to resign and sign a waiver an exit incentive program, so the 45-day, 7-day and disclosure rules apply to its release of age claims.

Many employment lawyers review a severance agreement for a flat fee, often $500 to $2,000, and screen claims at no cost; see our California employment lawyer cost guide.

Was the selection lawful?

California law makes it unlawful to discharge someone because of age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, medical condition, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or veteran or military status, among other traits, or because they opposed discrimination or filed a complaint. Age protection starts at 40 under state law and the federal ADEA. Taking protected family or medical leave is not a lawful reason either. If the age list skews older, or people who took leave or complained were cut, ask before you sign. See can you sue your employer.

A complaint with the Civil Rights Department is due within three years of the last harm (Government Code 12960), and an EEOC charge within 300 days in California, where a state agency enforces the same rules. The practical deadline is shorter: a valid release gives up the claims it covers once it takes effect. For timelines, see how long a discrimination or retaliation lawsuit takes.

Unemployment benefits

Apply with the EDD; the fastest way is online through myEDD. Under the EDD's benefit determination guide, pay in lieu of notice under a union contract, written plan or clearly established policy is wages, and you are not eligible for benefits for the period it covers. Severance under a plan for a group of employees is not wages, whatever the payment is called. Pay for a federal WARN violation does not reduce benefits. Report severance and in-lieu pay when you certify.

What to do now

• Keep the WARN notice and the date you received it.
• Check your final pay for all wages and unused vacation or PTO.
• If you are 40 or older, get the written list of job titles and ages.
• Do not sign under pressure; the waiting periods are minimums.
• Have the agreement and any section 1542 waiver reviewed before you sign.
• Apply for unemployment and report any severance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Disney give 60 days' notice for the Glendale layoffs?

The EDD report lists an October 27, 2026 notice date and a December 29, 2026 effective date: 63 days, which clears California's 60-day minimum. Keep your own notice and its date.

Does California require severance pay?

No. California law does not require severance; the employer's policy controls. Final wages and earned vacation are owed when your job ends, whether or not you sign anything.

How long do I have to sign a severance agreement in California?

At least five business days to consult an attorney. If you are 40 or older and the release covers federal age claims in a group layoff, at least 45 days to consider it and 7 days to revoke.

Will severance affect my unemployment benefits?

Under EDD guidance, severance under a group plan is not wages, while pay in lieu of notice under a contract, plan or policy is wages for the period it covers. Report both.

How much does a severance agreement review cost?

Many employment lawyers charge a flat fee, often $500 to $2,000, and screen claims at no cost. A claim taken on contingency usually costs 25% to 40% of the recovery, paid only if you win or settle.

If you were part of the Glendale layoff and want your notice, final pay or severance agreement reviewed, get matched free with an employment attorney in California. It takes about two minutes.

Sources

• EDD, WARN page and latest WARN report
• Deadline, Disney Experiences Division Hit By Layoffs, October 28, 2026
• California Labor Code sections 1400.5, 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, 201, 203, 206.5 and 227.3
• California Government Code sections 12926, 12940, 12945.2, 12960 and 12964.5; Civil Code section 1542
• 29 U.S.C. 623, 626, 631, 2101 and 2102
• EEOC: waivers in severance agreements and time limits for filing a charge
• Civil Rights Department, complaint process
• Labor Commissioner: final pay, waiting time penalty and vacation
• EDD: in-lieu-of-notice and WARN pay, certification questions and how to apply

This article explains general rules; it is not legal advice, and AttorneyReview is a matching service, not a law firm. Laws and fee rules change and depend on the facts of a matter; confirm them with the lawyer you hire.