The court still has to sign off on three separate Target settlements worth a combined $8.4 million before any of that money reaches the people who are owed it. The biggest of the three, a $4.6 million wage case involving New Jersey distribution center workers, already had its final approval hearing scheduled for February 24, 2026, while a $2.225 million Washington wage transparency settlement faces a May 5, 2026 hearing, and a $1.6 million COBRA notice settlement in Florida remains in earlier stages of the approval process.
If you applied for a Target job in Washington state, worked at one of Target’s New Jersey warehouses, or were a Target employee who received a questionable COBRA notice, one of these settlements may involve you directly. Court approval is not a rubber stamp — judges review whether the terms are fair, whether class members were properly notified, and whether attorney fees are reasonable. Below, we break down exactly what each settlement covers, what the court is evaluating, who qualifies, and what you need to do before critical deadlines pass.
Table of Contents
- What Does the Court Still Need to Approve in These Target Settlements?
- How Much Money Is at Stake Across All Three Target Settlements?
- Who Qualifies for Each Target Class Action Settlement?
- What Do You Need to Do Before the Deadlines?
- What Could Go Wrong With Court Approval?
- How Washington’s Pay Transparency Law Created the Brinkman Settlement
- What Comes After Approval for Target Settlement Claimants
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Does the Court Still Need to Approve in These Target Settlements?
In class action litigation, preliminary approval is just the first gate. It means a judge looked at the settlement terms and decided they were plausible enough to send notices to affected people. Final approval is the hearing where the court decides whether the deal is actually fair, adequate, and reasonable for the entire class. The judge considers factors like the strength of the plaintiffs’ claims, the risks of going to trial, how much each class member stands to receive, and whether the attorneys’ fees are proportionate. If enough class members object or opt out, that can also influence the outcome. For the target NJ distribution center wage settlement in Sadler v. Target Corp., the court granted preliminary approval on October 30, 2025, and notices went out on November 19, 2025. The final approval hearing was set for February 24, 2026, at the Mitchell H. Cohen Building and U.S.
Courthouse in Camden, New Jersey. That hearing is where the judge would evaluate the $4.6 million fund, the proposed attorney fee cap of one-third ($1,533,333.33 plus expenses), and any objections filed by the February 13, 2026 deadline. By contrast, the Brinkman v. Target wage transparency settlement has its final approval hearing on May 5, 2026, giving the court more time to assess the $2.225 million deal. The COBRA notice settlement in Rigney & Adams v. Target Corp., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, is the least far along. Court approval of the proposed $1.6 million settlement is still pending, with no publicly confirmed final approval hearing date as of the latest available information. Until that approval comes through, the roughly 92,000 potential class members remain in a holding pattern.
How Much Money Is at Stake Across All Three Target Settlements?
The three pending settlements total approximately $8.425 million. The largest is the Sadler v. Target Corp. New Jersey wage case at $4.6 million, covering claims that Target failed to compensate hourly distribution center employees for time spent on mandatory security screenings and walking to and from workstations. The mid-range settlement is the Brinkman v. Target Corp.
Washington wage transparency case at $2.225 million, which addresses allegations that Target violated Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act by not disclosing wage scales, salary ranges, and benefits in job postings. The smallest is the Rigney & Adams COBRA notice case at $1.6 million, targeting allegedly deficient COBRA election notices. However, the raw settlement number never tells the full story of what individuals will actually receive. In the NJ wage case, the $4.6 million fund covers approximately 13,700 eligible class members, and payments will be auto-calculated from payroll records — meaning the amount each person gets depends on how many hours they worked and how much unpaid screening and walking time they accumulated. No claim form is required. In the Washington case, the estimated maximum individual payment is roughly $1,711.93, but that figure will drop if more people file valid claims before the March 31, 2026 deadline. Attorney fees, administration costs, and service awards to named plaintiffs also come off the top of every settlement fund before distribution.
Who Qualifies for Each Target Class Action Settlement?
Eligibility varies sharply between the three cases, and being a Target employee or applicant does not automatically put you in all of them. For the NJ distribution center settlement, the class is limited to Progression Team Members who worked at Target’s distribution centers in Burlington, Perth Amboy, and Logan Township, New Jersey, and who were employed at any point since August 6, 2019. If you worked at a Target retail store in New Jersey, you are not part of this settlement. The specificity matters — this is about warehouse-level hourly workers at three specific facilities.
The Washington wage transparency settlement covers a different group entirely: anyone who applied for certain Target jobs in Washington state between January 1, 2023, and July 26, 2025. You did not need to be hired or even interviewed — the claim is about what information Target did or did not include in its job postings. If you applied for a Target position in Oregon or California during that same period, you would not qualify under this particular settlement, even though those states have their own pay transparency laws. The COBRA settlement class is broader, encompassing approximately 92,000 potential members who received allegedly deficient COBRA election notices from Target, though the exact eligibility window and criteria depend on the final settlement terms still awaiting court approval.
What Do You Need to Do Before the Deadlines?
Your required action — or lack thereof — depends entirely on which settlement applies to you. The NJ distribution center settlement is what attorneys call a “no-claim” settlement. If you are one of the roughly 13,700 eligible class members, your payment is automatically calculated from Target’s payroll records and you do not need to file anything. The main deadline that already passed was February 13, 2026, which was the cutoff to opt out or file an objection. If you did nothing, you remain in the class and will receive your share if the court grants final approval.
The Washington wage transparency settlement is the opposite — it requires you to actively file a claim. The deadline is March 31, 2026, and you need the notice ID and PIN from a mailed settlement notice to submit your claim. If you lost the notice or never received one but believe you qualify, contacting the settlement administrator through the official site at epoasettlement-jan-02-2026.com is your path forward. One important distinction for tax planning: payments from the Washington settlement are classified as non-wage damages and will be reported on a 1099 form rather than a W-2, which affects how you report the income and whether employment taxes apply. The COBRA settlement’s claim procedures have not been finalized, so the best move there is to monitor the official site at rigneycobrasettlement.com for updates.
What Could Go Wrong With Court Approval?
Final approval is not guaranteed, and there are real scenarios where a settlement gets rejected, modified, or delayed. Judges sometimes reject deals where the payout per class member is too low relative to the strength of the claims, where attorney fees consume a disproportionate share of the fund, or where the notice program failed to adequately reach class members. In the NJ distribution center case, the attorney fee request is capped at one-third of the fund — about $1.53 million — which is within the range courts typically accept but still subject to scrutiny.
Objections from class members can also complicate approval. If a significant number of the 13,700 NJ class members or the Washington applicants raise concerns about the settlement terms, the judge may require the parties to renegotiate. Opt-outs matter too, though for a different reason: if too many people opt out, it can undermine the settlement’s value to the defendant, since those individuals retain the right to sue separately. For the COBRA notice settlement with its 92,000-member class, the sheer size introduces logistical challenges in ensuring adequate notice, which the court will evaluate carefully before signing off.
How Washington’s Pay Transparency Law Created the Brinkman Settlement
Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, which took effect on January 1, 2023, requires employers to include wage scales or salary ranges and a general description of benefits in job postings for positions that could be filled by Washington-based employees. Target allegedly failed to meet these requirements in certain job listings, leading to the Brinkman v. Target Corp.
Class action. The $2.225 million settlement is notable because it underscores how seriously courts are treating pay transparency violations — this is not a niche technicality but a substantive labor law that employers operating in Washington must follow. For job applicants, the takeaway is practical: if you applied for Target positions in Washington during the covered period and the postings lacked salary information, your experience is exactly what this law was designed to address. The estimated per-claimant payment of up to $1,711.93 is meaningful for what amounts to a disclosure failure, though the final amount depends on how many of the eligible applicants actually file claims by the March 31, 2026 deadline.
What Comes After Approval for Target Settlement Claimants
Assuming the courts approve all three settlements, the timeline from approval to actual payment typically runs 30 to 90 days, though it can stretch longer if appeals are filed. For the NJ distribution center case, checks would be calculated and mailed automatically. For the Washington case, the settlement administrator would process approved claims and issue payments, likely as checks or direct deposits, with 1099 tax forms following at year-end.
The COBRA settlement’s distribution timeline remains unclear until the court sets a final approval date. Looking ahead, these settlements are part of a broader pattern of wage-and-hour and employment compliance litigation against major retailers. Target is not alone — similar cases have hit other large employers over security screening time, pay transparency, and benefits notice requirements. For consumers and workers, the lesson is that keeping records of employment, saving job application confirmations, and reading settlement notices rather than discarding them as junk mail can be worth real money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to file a claim for the Target NJ distribution center settlement?
No. The approximately 13,700 eligible Progression Team Members at Target’s Burlington, Perth Amboy, and Logan Township distribution centers will have payments automatically calculated from payroll records. No claim form is required.
How much could I get from the Target Washington wage transparency settlement?
The estimated maximum payment is $1,711.93 per claimant, but the actual amount depends on how many people file valid claims by the March 31, 2026 deadline. More claimants means a smaller individual share.
Will my Target settlement payment be taxed as wages?
It depends on the settlement. Payments from the Washington wage transparency settlement (Brinkman v. Target) are classified as non-wage damages and reported on a 1099 form, not a W-2. The NJ distribution center settlement may have different tax treatment since it involves unpaid wages. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
What happens if the court denies final approval of a Target settlement?
If a judge finds the settlement unfair, inadequate, or unreasonable, the parties typically renegotiate the terms or the case proceeds toward trial. Class members who have not opted out would retain their claims.
Can I still opt out of the Target NJ distribution center settlement?
The opt-out deadline was February 13, 2026. If that date has passed and you did not opt out, you are bound by the settlement terms and cannot pursue an individual lawsuit over the same claims.
How do I file a claim for the Target COBRA notice settlement?
The Rigney & Adams v. Target COBRA settlement is still awaiting court approval, and claim procedures have not been finalized. Monitor the official settlement site at rigneycobrasettlement.com for updates on when and how to file.
You Might Also Like
- Northwell Health Settlement: What The Court Still Has To Approve
- Capital Health Settlement: What The Court Still Has To Approve
- 23andMe Settlement: What The Court Still Has To Approve