Target Corporation has agreed to pay $2.225 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving wage transparency violations in Washington State. The settlement, *Brinkman v. Target Corporation* filed in King County Superior Court, addresses Target’s failure to disclose wage ranges and benefits in job postings as required by Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (RCW 49.58.110). If you applied for a Target position in Washington between January 1, 2023 and July 26, 2025, you may be eligible to claim a portion of this settlement fund.
The core violation centered on a straightforward requirement: Washington law mandates that job postings include both the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits offered. For example, if Target posted a position for a cashier without listing the pay range of $15-$18 per hour or mentioning health insurance and 401(k) eligibility, the company violated the transparency law. Target’s failure to include these disclosures across numerous job postings triggered this settlement. After attorney fees of $656,375 and other administrative costs are deducted, approximately $1,543,625 remains to be divided equally among all class members who submit valid claims. The estimated individual payment is $1,711.93, though the exact amount will depend on how many eligible applicants file claims by the deadline.
Table of Contents
- What Is Washington’s Wage Transparency Law and Why Did Target Violate It?
- How Much Will Class Members Actually Receive from the $2.225 Million Settlement?
- Who Is Eligible to File a Claim in the Target Wage Disclosure Settlement?
- What Steps Do You Need to Take to Claim Your Settlement Payment?
- What Happens if the Settlement Is Rejected or Modified by the Court?
- How Does This Settlement Compare to Other Wage Transparency Cases?
- What Should Job Applicants Know About Wage Transparency Rights Going Forward?
- Conclusion
What Is Washington’s Wage Transparency Law and Why Did Target Violate It?
Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, enacted to increase salary transparency in hiring, requires employers to disclose wage information and benefits details upfront. The law applies to any employer accepting applications from Washington residents, even if the job isn’t based in the state. This means Target’s corporate headquarters in Minnesota must comply when recruiting for any position, including remote work or jobs at out-of-state facilities, if applicants from Washington can apply.
Target’s violation was substantial because it wasn’t a narrow procedural miss—the company failed to include wage ranges and benefits descriptions across numerous job postings over a 31-month period. Compare this to a competitor like Amazon, which faced similar wage transparency scrutiny but implemented more proactive compliance measures. The breadth of Target’s non-compliance, spanning from January 2023 through July 2025, suggests the company either did not have adequate systems in place to check postings for compliance or deprioritized the requirement in favor of speed in recruiting.
How Much Will Class Members Actually Receive from the $2.225 Million Settlement?
The settlement’s $2.225 million total is split across multiple purposes, with the largest portion going to affected workers. Attorney fees ($656,375) consume roughly 29% of the settlement, which is a fairly standard proportion in wage and labor settlements. Costs and expenses ($5,000) are minimal, and service awards to the two class representatives ($20,000 total) compensate the named plaintiffs for their time and role in pursuing the case. The remaining $1,543,625 is divided equally among all eligible class members.
However, there’s an important limitation: this estimated $1,711.93 per person is only accurate if enough people file claims. If only half the eligible applicants submit claims, each claimant could receive roughly $3,400. Conversely, if most eligible people file, payments could be as low as $1,000 or less. class action payouts depend heavily on claim participation rates, which are historically unpredictable. The March 31, 2026 claim deadline is critical—money left unclaimed does not go back to Target but may be distributed to related wage protection organizations, meaning it’s a use-it-or-lose-it situation.
Who Is Eligible to File a Claim in the Target Wage Disclosure Settlement?
To qualify for a payment from this settlement, you must have applied for a job posting at Target in Washington State between January 1, 2023 and July 26, 2025, and that job posting must have been missing either the wage scale/salary range or a description of general benefits (or both). You don’t need to have been hired; simply applying for a position with an incomplete posting qualifies you for the settlement. This eligibility criteria demonstrates why the violation mattered: job applicants in Washington were systematically denied information that the state believed they had a right to know when considering whether to apply.
For instance, if you saw a Target seasonal associate position posted without a salary range, you couldn’t assess whether the pay met your needs before investing time in an application. Target’s compliance failure affected potentially thousands of job seekers over more than two years. The court scheduled a final approval hearing for May 5, 2026 to determine whether the settlement is fair and adequate to the class, but the claim deadline comes first on March 31, 2026.
What Steps Do You Need to Take to Claim Your Settlement Payment?
Filing a claim requires submitting documentation proving you applied for a Target position in Washington during the settlement period. You’ll need to provide details such as the job title, the date you applied, and confirmation that the posting lacked wage information or benefits details. Most claims are filed online through a settlement administrator’s website, though some may accept paper submissions. The key tradeoff in class action settlements is convenience versus proof.
Target’s settlement likely uses an efficient online claims portal, making it easy to file in minutes from home—but you’ll need to remember specific details about positions you applied for potentially years ago. If you kept emails from Target or screenshots of job postings, those are valuable. If not, you may need to rely on your own recollection or check your application history if you maintain a Target account. The March 31, 2026 deadline is firm; claims submitted after this date will be rejected regardless of your eligibility.
What Happens if the Settlement Is Rejected or Modified by the Court?
Although settlements are usually approved, the May 5, 2026 final approval hearing gives the court an opportunity to reject or modify the deal if it determines the terms are unfair or inadequate. If the court rejects the settlement, the case returns to litigation, which could take years to resolve—and there’s no guarantee a better outcome for class members would result. Conversely, if the court approves the settlement as scheduled, claimants should receive payments within a few months following the deadline.
A significant limitation of this settlement is that it does not include any mandate requiring Target to change its hiring practices going forward. The financial payment addresses past harm but doesn’t prevent future wage disclosure violations. Target could theoretically face additional lawsuits if the company fails to comply with Washington’s law prospectively, but the current settlement is purely compensatory, not injunctive. Class members should not expect this settlement to force structural changes in Target’s recruitment practices.
How Does This Settlement Compare to Other Wage Transparency Cases?
Wage transparency settlements have become more common as states strengthen pay disclosure requirements. Washington’s law is among the stricter state-level mandates, and settlements in the $2 million to $3 million range are typical for mid-sized compliance violations affecting thousands of applicants. Some comparable cases have involved retailers and tech companies facing similar non-disclosure violations, though the specifics and payout amounts vary significantly.
Target’s settlement stands out because the violation was straightforward and well-documented—the company simply didn’t include required information in job postings. Unlike some wage discrimination cases that turn on complex salary analysis, this case focused on a clear procedural requirement. The settlement reflects the scope and duration of the violation rather than calculations of lost wages, making it a more predictable outcome.
What Should Job Applicants Know About Wage Transparency Rights Going Forward?
Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act is part of a broader national trend toward salary transparency. Other states including New York, California, and Colorado have enacted similar laws, and more may follow. As an applicant, you now have a legal right to demand wage information during the recruiting process in many states, not just Washington.
Target’s settlement underscores that employers who ignore these requirements face financial consequences. For future job hunting, job seekers in transparent-pay states should expect to see wage ranges posted upfront. If a major employer omits this information, it may indicate non-compliance with state law—knowledge that could inform your decision to apply or report the omission to the state labor department. The Target case shows that even large, sophisticated companies sometimes fall short on compliance, but legal remedies exist for affected applicants.
Conclusion
The Target $2.225 million wage disclosure settlement provides compensation to Washington job applicants who were denied wage transparency information during their hiring process. With an estimated individual payout of $1,711.93 (varying based on claim participation), the settlement reflects over 31 months of non-compliance with Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. The March 31, 2026 deadline to file claims is critical—missing it forfeits your eligibility and your share of the fund.
To claim your portion of the settlement, gather any documentation proving you applied for a Target position in Washington between January 1, 2023 and July 26, 2025, where the job posting lacked wage range or benefits information. Visit the official settlement administrator’s website or watch for notifications from the court for filing instructions. Act before the deadline to secure your payment from this settlement fund.