Opinion ID: 605609
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Transferred Employees

Text: 20 Appellant argues that the district court should have included Underwood and Faulisi among those employees suffering an employment loss. Appellant's argument is based on WARN's provision that an employee may not be considered to have experienced an employment loss if the employer, prior to the closing or layoff, offers to transfer the employee to another employment site. 29 U.S.C. § 2101(b)(2). According to appellant's analysis, the plant (i.e., the North Versailles store) closed on September 11, 1990. Because appellee extended its offer to transfer on the date of closing, rather than prior to the closing, appellant contends that employees Underwood and Faulisi, who accepted the offer to transfer and secured new positions on September 11, 1990, nevertheless should not be excluded under 29 U.S.C. § 2101(b)(2). 21 By focusing on the timing of the transfer offer 4 rather than on the critical issue of whether the employees experienced an employment loss in the first instance, appellant overlooks the underlying purpose of the statute as well as basic tenets of statutory construction. There is hardly a need to ensure adequate opportunities (by way of notice of imminent employment loss) for retraining and/or reemployment in the absence of employment loss. Similarly, there is no need to consider the enumerated exclusion to a defined term, here, employment loss, when the defined term is inapplicable to the facts of record. 22 Underwood and Faulisi never experienced an employment loss. Rather, they continued to be employees of Warehouse Club, albeit in different positions at another location. The plant closing, therefore, had no effect on their employment status and WARN's notice provisions have no application as to them.