The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has affirmed a significant workers' rights victory against five coal mining companies that failed to provide legally required notice before mass layoffs. In *Jules Gautier v. Tams Management, Inc.* (4th Cir. 2026), a three-judge panel unanimously upheld a jury verdict finding the companies liable under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

Chief Judge Diaz wrote the opinion for the court, with Judges Thacker and Rushing joining. The January 2, 2026 decision affirmed the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia's denial of the companies' post-trial motions for judgment as a matter of law and a new trial.

The case centers on violations of the WARN Act, a federal law that requires certain employers to provide advance notice to employees before sudden, significant employment losses. The jury found the five mining companies liable for terminating workers without providing the statutorily required 60-day notice period.

The companies challenged several aspects of the lower court's ruling, including the determination that they constituted a 'single employer' under the WARN Act and the jury instructions provided during trial. The Fourth Circuit rejected these challenges, finding that sufficient evidence supported the jury's verdict.

This decision reinforces the importance of WARN Act compliance in the mining industry and provides workers with enhanced protections against sudden job losses. The ruling may have broader implications for how courts interpret single employer relationships in future WARN Act cases.