$12.47M Trader Joe’s Settlement Resolves Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Wage and Hour Violations

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Trader Joe’s has agreed to a $12.47 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that claimed the grocery store chain failed to pay crew, merchants and mates all required wages, among other alleged violations of California labor law.

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The Trader Joe’s class action settlement received preliminary approval from the court on March 12, 2026. Eligible to participate in the settlement are all individuals who were employed by Trader Joe’s in California as non-exempt crew, merchants or mates at any time from December 4, 2016 to March 31, 2024.

The agreement also covers two Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) classes:

• The first PAGA period covers all individuals who worked in a qualifying position between December 4, 2019 and March 31, 2024; and
• The second PAGA period covers all individuals who worked in a qualifying position between April 1, 2024 and September 5, 2025.

The court-approved website for the Trader Joe’s class action settlement can be found at APEXClassAction.com/traderjoes/.

Trader Joe’s settlement class members do not need to do anything to automatically receive a pro rata cash payment from the wage-and-hour settlement. Under the settlement, eligible individuals may receive up to three payments—a class payment, a first PAGA payment and a second PAGA payment—in a single check.

The final amount of each class member’s payment will be determined based on the number of workweeks the individual worked between December 4, 2016 and March 31, 2024. Class members who worked as mates during this period will have their workweeks doubled.

Additionally, class members who worked during the first PAGA period can receive a cash payment based on the number of pay periods each individual worked between December 4, 2019 and March 31, 2024.

Class members who worked for Trader Joe’s during the second PAGA period can also receive a payment based on the number of pay periods they worked between April 1, 2024 and September 5, 2025.

Trader Joe’s class members who wish to challenge the number of workweeks or pay periods listed in their settlement notice packet must mail, fax or email a written dispute and supporting documentation to the settlement administrator by October 2, 2026.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the Trader Joe’s wage settlement following a hearing on April 22, 2027. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval has been granted and any appeals have been resolved.

The Trader Joe’s class action lawsuit alleged that the grocery store failed to include “Thank You” pay in overtime calculations for non-exempt crew, merchants and mates and failed to provide minimum and sick pay wages, compliant meal and rest periods, accurate and itemized wage statements and expense reimbursement, in violation of the California Labor Code.

Did you know that some class action settlements require no proof to submit a claim? Check out the latest class action settlements.