Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream will idle 803 workers at its plant in Laurel, Maryland, from December 20 through January 4. Maryland labor officials logged the notice October 19 as a temporary mass layoff. The state’s note says only that it is a “temporary 2 week layoff for necessary maintenance,” so the workers are expected back, but the pay gap runs through Christmas and New Year’s.
What the Maryland notice says
The notice appears in the Maryland Department of Labor WARN log, the state list of layoffs and closings reported under federal and state advance-notice rules. It names Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, at 9090 Whiskey Bottom Road in Laurel, in Howard County. The listed industry code, 311520, is the federal classification for ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing.
The effective dates run December 20, 2026, through January 4, 2027. That is a span of two weeks that includes both holidays, which is when a missing paycheck is hardest to absorb. The state does not say whether all 803 workers are idled for the full span or in shifts, and it lists no other detail.
This is not a closure. The state log keeps temporary layoffs and permanent ones in separate categories, and this one is filed as temporary. The notice carries no company statement beyond that one line, and no further reason is given.
The size of the notice is what stands out. Among the Maryland notices logged since late August, Dreyer’s 803 is far larger than the next biggest, 143 at CB Manufacturing, which does business as Pepsi Beverages, in Prince George’s County with a November 13 effective date. ThriftBooks Global is closing a Baltimore County site that employs 136 as of October 31.
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The rest of the list is smaller. Peraton filed notices for 72 workers effective December 14 and 26 more effective January 5, both in Anne Arundel County. Sharps Inc. is closing a Baltimore City site with 47 workers on November 30, and True Food Kitchen is closing a Bethesda restaurant with 41 on December 4. Those are permanent cuts, which sets them apart from the Laurel idling.
Two weeks of lost wages and what replaces them
A temporary layoff still cuts a paycheck. Maryland pays unemployment benefits of between $50 and $430 a week, according to the state claimant page, for up to 26 weeks. The state decides the exact amount after a claim is filed, based on earnings, and it says factors such as severance pay can change the calculation.
At the top weekly rate of $430, two weeks of benefits would come to $860. Whether a worker on a short planned shutdown qualifies is a decision for the state, and the labor department says the division determines the amount only after a claim is filed. The notice itself says nothing about pay during the idling.
Claims go in through the state’s BEACON portal, according to the department’s unemployment overview, and require 18 months of employment history. Weekly certification can be done online or by phone at 410-949-0022 or 1-800-827-4839, which the department says are available around the clock. Claimants must also register with the Maryland Workforce Exchange to record their job search.
The department also offers Rapid Response services for any layoff or closure, including ones not covered by WARN rules. For workers, those include reemployment help, training, benefits information and help with unemployment claims. The state lists a Dislocation Services Unit at 100 S. Charles Street in Baltimore for notices and questions.
Employers have a tool of their own. The same labor department page points businesses to Maryland’s Work Sharing program, which is meant to help them return to full operations more quickly. Nothing in the notice says Dreyer’s is using it, and the filing does not say whether the company will pay workers during the idle period.
Planning a household budget around a two-week gap
The money question for a Laurel household is not whether the job survives, but how the next two paychecks get covered. Rent or mortgage, utilities and groceries come due on schedule, and a December gap lands beside holiday spending. A household that is short can tell its landlord and lenders early instead of waiting for a late notice.
Workers who are close to retirement have a second question. The Maryland notice says nothing about health coverage, pay or benefits during the idling. Those are questions for the company’s human resources office, and the state log does not answer them.
Other help does not depend on the layoff at all. Programs for food, heating and medical costs are opt-in, with income limits that count a household’s income over a defined period. A month with two missing paychecks can change what a family reports, which can open a program that was closed a month earlier.
The notice gives workers two months of warning. The open question for a Laurel household is how much of the two-week gap it can cover on its own, and which programs it should ask about before December 20.
Will two idle weeks at Laurel change a household’s benefits?
A Laurel worker who is idled from December 20 to January 4 often counts the gap as two missed paychecks and nothing more. Income limits for food, heating and medical-cost programs depend on the months a household reports, so a short layoff can matter more than it first looks.
This story is about a layoff notice, and The Benefits Checklist is a related job: it covers the household costs a lost paycheck puts at risk. It scans 11 benefit programs retirees most often miss, lists the 2026 income limits and includes a 50-state phone directory plus a printable tracker for applications.
Line up benefit applications before a two-week layoff with the Benefits Checklist →
More Financial Reading
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
