Does the WARN Act apply to the Atlassian layoffs in SF?

Yes. With 252 employees terminated, both federal and California WARN Acts are clearly triggered. If Atlassian didn't provide 60 days' advance notice, affected employees may be owed up to 60 days of additional pay and benefits.

Does it matter that Atlassian is headquartered in Australia?

Not for your severance rights. California law applies to employees working in California regardless of where the company is headquartered. Your rights under the WARN Act, OWBPA, and Business and Professions Code Section 16600 are fully enforceable.

Can Atlassian enforce a non-solicitation clause?

California courts have increasingly treated non-solicitation of employees as a restraint on trade under Section 16600. While not as clearly void as non-competes, these clauses face strong challenges in California. An attorney can evaluate the specific language in your agreement.

Atlassian Laid Off 252 People in San Francisco. Here's What You Need to Know.

Atlassian's March 2026 WARN filing confirmed 252 employees cut from the San Francisco office. If you worked on Jira, Confluence, Trello, or any of Atlassian's other products, you've probably been sitting with a severance agreement for a while now. Here's what matters before you sign.

Here's something most people don't realize: severance agreements are negotiable. The offer you received is a starting point, not a final number. Employees negotiate better severance packages with the help of an attorney every day, and the results are often meaningfully better than the initial offer.

We review and negotiate severance agreements on contingency. That means no upfront cost to you. Our fee comes only from the additional amount we negotiate above what you were already offered. If we don't improve your package, you don't pay. There's no downside to having an attorney look at what you've been given.

252 Employees Triggers Major WARN Obligations

This is one of the larger single-site layoffs in San Francisco in 2026. Both the federal WARN Act and Cal-WARN (Labor Code Sections 1400-1408) are clearly triggered. Atlassian was required to give 60 days' advance written notice. If they didn't, you're owed up to 60 days of pay and benefits on top of severance.

Under Cal-WARN, Atlassian may also owe $500 per employee per day of violation. With 252 employees, the company's potential exposure is significant. That said, it's worth reviewing whether the equity treatment in your agreement reflects your full vesting picture.

Your RSUs Are the Biggest Financial Question

Atlassian is publicly traded (TEAM on NASDAQ). RSUs are a major compensation component, and TEAM has been volatile. Unvested shares vanish at termination. If you were midway through a four-year vesting schedule, half your equity grant just disappeared.

While equity acceleration is one of the more difficult provisions to negotiate, it's still worth understanding exactly how your RSUs are being handled. An extra 3 to 12 months of vesting is worth raising, though companies are often resistant. Check whether you were near a vesting cliff. If shares were about to vest within weeks, the timing of your termination date is worth reviewing carefully.

Non-Competes and Non-Solicitation

Atlassian's legal team operates globally, in jurisdictions where non-competes are enforceable. If they included one in your California severance agreement, it's void under Business and Professions Code Section 16600. AB 1076 made it illegal to include. Demand removal.

Non-solicitation clauses (preventing you from recruiting former colleagues) deserve scrutiny too. California courts have increasingly treated these as restraints on trade under Section 16600. In a layoff of 252 people, many of your former teammates are also job hunting. A clause preventing you from helping each other at your next company is unreasonable. Push back.

OWBPA for Employees Over 40

You get 45 days to review in a group layoff, not 21. Atlassian must provide age and title disclosure. You get 7 days to revoke. If Atlassian gave you the wrong timeline, your age discrimination waiver may be defective.

IP Provisions

Atlassian builds enterprise software. If you were in engineering, product, or design, watch the IP assignment provisions. California Labor Code Section 2870 protects inventions you create on your own time. Make sure the severance doesn't expand the scope beyond your original employment agreement.

The Release

The general release waives all claims against Atlassian. Consider whether the layoff selections were neutral across demographics before signing away discrimination claims. File with the CRD or DLSE while you still can if you have concerns.

Final Pay

All earned wages including PTO on your last day per Labor Code Sections 201-203. This is separate from severance.

If you were part of the Atlassian layoff in San Francisco, our employment attorneys can review your severance agreement. We handle employment matters in San Francisco Superior Court. Free consultation. Don't let a template agreement define your outcome.