Amazon Washington State $2 Million Settlement — Hourly Workers Get Automatic Payments for Missed Breaks
By Steve Levine
Published: March 18, 2026
Settlement Fund: $2,000,000
Minimum Payment: $50 per person (automatic — no claim form needed)
Claim Form: Not required — payments are automatic
What Is This Settlement About?
If you worked for Amazon in Washington State as an hourly employee at any point between October 2021 and October 2025, you may have a check coming in the mail — and you do not need to do anything to get it.A former Amazon employee named Trishelle Garner filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Amazon Retail LLC violated Washington State wage and hour laws by failing to provide legally compliant meal periods and rest breaks to its hourly workers, and by failing to pay all wages owed. If you have ever worked an Amazon warehouse shift, a fulfillment center shift, or any other hourly position at Amazon in Washington, you know how the schedule works — and you may know firsthand what it feels like when your break gets shortened, interrupted, or skipped entirely.
Under Washington law, employers are required to provide employees with paid rest breaks (at least 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked) and unpaid meal periods (at least 30 minutes for shifts over 5 hours). The lawsuit alleged Amazon did not consistently provide these breaks as required.
Amazon strongly denied all claims and says it did nothing wrong. The court did not decide who was right. The parties reached a settlement through mediation on October 27, 2025 with mediator Lou Peterson, and Amazon agreed to pay $2 million to resolve the case.
Do I Qualify?
You qualify if you were employed by Amazon Retail LLC in the State of Washington in any position paid on an hourly basis at any time between October 3, 2021 and October 27, 2025. This includes warehouse associates, fulfillment center workers, delivery station employees, sortation center staff, and any other hourly Amazon position in Washington State.It does not matter if you still work at Amazon or if you left the company. It does not matter how long you worked there. If you were an hourly Amazon employee in Washington at any point during the class period, you are included.
How Much Money Will I Get?
Every eligible class member who does not opt out receives a minimum payment of $50. Beyond the $50 minimum, remaining funds from the class fund (approximately $1,263,333 after deductions for fees and administration costs) are divided proportionally based on how much you earned at Amazon during the class period compared to what all class members earned collectively.In simple terms, the more hours you worked at Amazon in Washington during the class period, the larger your share. Someone who worked full-time for the entire four-year period will receive more than someone who worked part-time for a few months.
The estimated class size is approximately 2,763 workers. If the class exceeds 3,174 members (15% above the estimate), Amazon will either increase the fund proportionally or shorten the class period to stay at that number.
Do I Need to File a Claim?
No. This is an automatic payment settlement. You do not need to fill out a claim form, visit a website, or take any action. As long as you do not submit a written request to opt out, you will automatically receive a check in the mail.The only thing you should do is make sure your mailing address is current. If you have moved since you worked at Amazon, update your address with the settlement administrator so your check reaches you. Contact information for the settlement administrator will be provided on the settlement website once it is established.
What About Taxes?
Your settlement payment will be split for tax purposes. 50% of your payment will be treated as wages — with normal payroll tax withholding (Social Security, Medicare, etc.) — and reported on an IRS W-2 form. The other 50% will be treated as non-wages (penalties, interest, and damages) with no tax withholding, reported on an IRS 1099-MISC form.This means the check you receive will have taxes already withheld from the wage portion. You are responsible for any additional tax obligations on the non-wage portion when you file your taxes.
How Is the $2 Million Divided?
Class Fund (worker payments): ~$1,263,333
Attorney Fees: Up to $666,667 (one-third of fund)
Litigation Costs: Up to $10,000
Service Award (plaintiff): Up to $20,000
Settlement Administration: Up to $40,000
Employer Payroll Taxes: Paid separately by Amazon (not from the $2M fund)
When Will I Get Paid?
The court must first grant final approval of the settlement at a Fairness Hearing at the Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma, WA. After final approval, there is a 30-day appeal window. If no appeal is filed, checks are expected to go out approximately 60 days after final approval.If any checks are not cashed within 120 days, the unclaimed funds will be sent to the Washington State Unclaimed Property Fund in the class member's name — Amazon does not get the money back.
What Happens If I Do Nothing?
If you do nothing, you will automatically receive a payment. This is one of the rare settlements where doing nothing is the right move if you want to get paid. You will also be bound by the settlement's release of claims, meaning you give up the right to sue Amazon separately over the same missed break issues during the class period.If you want to opt out (to preserve your right to file your own lawsuit), you must submit a written exclusion request by the notice deadline. If you opt out, you will not receive any payment.
Case Information
Caption: Trishelle Garner v. Amazon Retail LLC, Case No. 24-2-11344-0
Court: Superior Court for the State of Washington, Pierce County
Judge: Hon. Timothy L. Ashcraft
Settlement Fund: $2,000,000
Minimum Per Person: $50 (automatic)
Defendant: Amazon Retail LLC
Plaintiff: Trishelle Garner
Class Counsel: James B. Pizl, Entente Law PLLC; Timothy W. Emery, Emery Reddy PC
Defense Counsel: Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Settlement Administrator: Simpluris, Inc.
Claim: Washington State wage and hour violations — missed meal and rest breaks, unpaid wages
How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?
Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:Official Settlement Notice (PDF)
Sources
• Court-authorized settlement notice and settlement agreement, Garner v. Amazon Retail LLC, Case No. 24-2-11344-0 (Pierce County Superior Court, WA)• Mediation conducted October 27, 2025 by Lou Peterson, Hill Clark Martin & Peterson P.S.
Filing Class Action Settlement Claims
No claim form is required for this settlement. Payments are automatic for all eligible class members who do not opt out. If you have questions, contact Class Counsel at Entente Law PLLC or Emery Reddy PC. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer advocacy and class action news site, and is not a class action administrator or a law firm.
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Pre-Qualify| Amazon WA Break Settlement Summary | |
| Status | Pending Final Approval |
|---|---|
| Settlement Fund | $2,000,000 |
| Minimum Per Person | $50 (automatic) |
| Claim Form | Not required — payments are automatic |
| Who Qualifies | Amazon hourly workers in Washington State (Oct 2021 – Oct 2025) |
| Tax Treatment | 50% W-2 wages / 50% 1099-MISC non-wages |
| Case | Garner v. Amazon Retail LLC, No. 24-2-11344-0 (Pierce County, WA) |
| Hearing | Pending — Pierce County Superior Court, Tacoma, WA |
| Administrator | Simpluris, Inc. |