People who applied to a job opening in Washington with The Shade Store from January 1, 2023 through August 25, 2026, where the posting left out the wage scale or salary range, may qualify to claim an estimated $1,572.99 from The Shade Store Washington job postings class action settlement. Claims are open through December 18, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for February 19, 2027.
Current Status
Claims are open. The deadline is December 18, 2026, for claims submitted online or by email or postmarked by mail. The King County Superior Court granted preliminary approval on August 25, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for February 19, 2027, at 10:00 a.m. No final approval order or payment date had been announced as of November 6, 2026. Filing online requires the Login ID and PIN printed on the notice.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
Judge Jason Poydras of King County Superior Court preliminarily approved the settlement of Cox v. The Shade Store, LLC, Case No. 25-2-21151-7 SEA, on August 25, 2026, and notices with claim forms have gone out to the roughly 150 applicants The Shade Store’s records identify.The lawsuit, filed July 21, 2025, alleges that The Shade Store, a custom window treatment retailer with showrooms in Seattle and Bellevue, did not include a wage scale or salary range in Washington job postings, as the pay transparency provision of the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, RCW 49.58.110, has required of employers with 15 or more employees since January 1, 2023. The complaint sought statutory damages of $5,000 per applicant. The Shade Store denies the claims and says it did not violate any law; the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class covers people who, from January 1, 2023 through August 25, 2026, completed an application for a job opening in Washington with The Shade Store through a posting on The Shade Store’s website or an authorized third-party recruiting platform, where the posting did not include a wage scale or salary range.The Shade Store has represented that there are 150 class members, and the class was identified from its records. Someone who believes they applied but did not receive a notice has 60 days from the notice mailing to dispute their omission from the class list; The Shade Store’s records control unless the person has documents showing they belong.
How Much Can You Get?
Every class member who files a valid claim receives an equal share. The notice estimates the payment at $1,572.99, and the estimate also appears on each class member’s claim form.The fund moves with participation. The Shade Store pays at least $257,812.50, enough for the first 75 claimants, and adds $1,562.50 for each claimant beyond 75, up to $375,000 if all 150 class members file. Attorneys’ fees of $110,625, up to $5,000 in costs, a $10,000 service award for the class representative and up to $15,000 in administration costs come out before payments, if the court approves them. Any administration money not spent goes back to claimants pro rata.
Each share is capped at $5,000, the statutory damages amount under RCW 49.58.110. If participation is low enough that a share would exceed the cap, the excess goes to the Legal Foundation of Washington.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
Filing online requires the Login ID and PIN printed on the notice. No receipts or job application records are needed, but claims are subject to a verification process and the administrator may ask for more information. The settlement website directs anyone who has lost the Login ID and PIN to request them from the administrator with their full name and mailing address. A paper claim form came with the mailed notice and can be returned by mail or email instead.What Is the Deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or by email, or postmarked, by December 18, 2026. The notice does not specify a time zone. Under the settlement agreement, a late claim is considered only at The Shade Store’s discretion.The same December 18, 2026 date applies to requests for exclusion, which must be mailed letters, and to objections, which must be filed with the court and mailed to both sides’ attorneys. A notice that was returned as undeliverable and re-mailed carries a later deadline: the rest of the original 60-day window or 30 days from the re-mailing, whichever is longer.
How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed on the official settlement website using the Login ID and PIN from the notice. The claim form also lets claimants choose an electronic payment instead of a check.Class members who do nothing receive no payment but are still bound by the release, which covers claims that The Shade Store’s Washington job postings left out pay or benefits information under RCW 49.58.110 during the class period. Excluding oneself preserves those claims but forfeits any payment, and only class members who stay in can object. The notice states that The Shade Store will not retaliate against anyone for participating, and that the decision will not affect any job application or employment with the company.
What Happens Next?
Judge Poydras will decide at the February 19, 2027 hearing in Seattle whether to grant final approval and how much to award in fees, costs and the service award. The court can change the hearing date. If the settlement is approved and no appeal is filed, the agreement schedules funding for 30 days after the approval becomes final, and payments to claimants within 14 days after that. No payment date had been announced as of November 6, 2026.Sources and Verification
- Official settlement website — EPOA Settlement TSSL
- Notice of Class Action Settlement (PDF)
- Class Settlement Agreement, Cox v. The Shade Store, LLC, No. 25-2-21151-7 SEA (King Cnty. Super. Ct.)
- Class Action Complaint, filed July 21, 2025, King County Superior Court
Questions
Why does the payment stay near $1,562 whether many or few people file?
The Shade Store pays a minimum of $257,812.50, which covers the first 75 claimants after fees and costs, and adds $1,562.50 to the fund for every claimant beyond 75, up to $375,000 if all 150 class members file. That structure keeps each share at roughly the same level across most participation rates. The notice estimates $1,572.99. If fewer than 75 people file, the minimum fund is split among fewer claimants, with each share capped at $5,000 and anything above the cap going to the Legal Foundation of Washington.
Can someone who never got a notice still file?
The class is built from The Shade Store’s applicant records, and the online claim form requires the Login ID and PIN printed on the notice. The settlement website directs people who cannot find their Login ID and PIN to request them from the settlement administrator with their full name and mailing address. Under the settlement agreement, anyone who believes they were wrongly left off the class list has 60 days from the notice mailing to raise it, and The Shade Store’s records control unless the person has documents showing they belong.
Can the settlement still fall apart?
Yes. The agreement lets The Shade Store void the deal if more than 10% of class members opt out or fewer than 10% file claims, and lets Class Counsel void it if the class grows by more than 5% and The Shade Store will not raise the fund to match. The court must also grant final approval.
How will payments be sent?
By check unless the claimant chooses an electronic payment on the claim form. Payments must be cashed within 180 days of issue; uncashed money is sent to the State of Washington’s unclaimed property program in the class member’s name rather than back to The Shade Store.
