National Hirschfeld told its employees it would not give them the required 60 days notice for its plant closing later this month because of a legal exception for companies that are "faltering," a spokesman for the company said.

The 101-year-old printing company told its 250 employees that it would shut down by Jan. 30 and terminate them.

The federal WARN Act requires companies to give workers advance notice of a plant closure or mass layoffs unless the employer can prove that doing so would adversely affect its ability to obtain financing or attract new business required to stay open, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

A spokesman for Colorado's Labor Department said it has no authority to enforce the law or investigate whether a company has complied. Any disputes must be decided by through U.S. District Court.