Strauss Borrelli PLLC, a leading class action law firm, is investigating LyondellBasell’s Houston Refinery and its subsidiary Houston Refining LP regarding its recent mass layoff in Houston, Texas. The WARN Act is a federal law that requires certain employers to notify their employees, in writing, at least 60 days before a plant closing or mass layoff takes effect. As a result, we believe LyondellBasell’s Houston Refinery employees may be entitled to sixty days of severance pay and benefits.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On February 25, 2025, LyondellBasell’s Houston Refinery notified the Texas Workforce Commission of its decision to conduct a mass layoff at its facility located at 12000 Lawndale, Houston, Texas 77017. The federal law, known as, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, requires covered employers to provide 60 days’ prior written notice to employees, their representatives, and certain government parties in the event of a mass layoff or plant closing. We are investigating whether LyondellBasell’s Houston Refinery failed to provide at least 60 days’ notice before laying off 345 employees and therefore potentially violating the WARN Act.
ABOUT THE WARN ACT:
The WARN Act is a federal law passed in 1988 by Congress that requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide a 60-day notice of significant layoffs or plant closings. This notice gives workers and their families time to prepare for job loss, seek new employment, and pursue training or retraining opportunities. The WARN Act aims to reduce the impact of sudden job loss on workers and communities by ensuring they have sufficient time to transition. Generally, employees must receive a WARN Act notice if they are laid off or if their hours are cut by 50% or more in any six-month period because of a plant closing or mass layoff. It is possible that a temporary layoff may still violate the WARN Act if it ends up lasting longer than six months.
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.
If you or someone you know were laid off from LyondellBasell’s Houston Refinery, we would like to speak with you about your rights and potential legal remedies. Please fill out the form below or contact us at 872.263.1100 or sam@straussborrelli.com
ABOUT LYONDELLBASELL'S HOUSTON REFINERY:
LyondellBasell’s Houston Refinery, headquartered in Houston, Texas, produces transportation fuels which include gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. It also produces feedstock for its chemical plants which include naphtha, liquid petroleum gas, butylene and propylene. It began operations in 1918, making it the oldest site with LyondellBasell and the first refinery on the Houston Ship Channel.
If you or someone you know were laid off from LyondellBasell's Houston Refinery:
We would like to speak with you about your rights and potential legal remedies. Please fill out the form below or contact us at 872.263.1100 or sam@straussborrelli.com.
