Published
October 4, 2026
Former Walgreens employees whose jobs ended between April 6, 2018 and April 6, 2021, and whose final paycheck arrived six or more days late, are to be paid automatically from the $2.5 million Walgreen Pharmacy Services settlement over Oregon's final-pay law if the court grants final approval; there is no claim form to file. The final approval hearing was held August 4, 2026, and a written order is pending.
Current Status
There is no claim form. Class members were identified from Walgreens' payroll records, and anyone who did not opt out is paid automatically. The opt-out and objection deadlines passed on May 8, 2026. Judge Michael W. Mosman held the final approval hearing on August 4, 2026, but as of October 4, 2026 no written final approval order appears on the public docket. No payment date has been announced.Free settlement alerts
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Status
Final Order Pending
Hearing held August 4, 2026
Claim Deadline
No Claim Form
Opt-out deadline passed May 8, 2026
Estimated Payout
Pro Rata Share of ~$1.56M
Based on days late and hourly rate
Proof Required
Automatic Payment
Checks mailed to the address on file
What Changed Recently?
Lead plaintiff Taylor Lemons filed the unopposed motion for final approval on July 9, 2026, and the court heard it on August 4. Walgreens filed its notice of compliance with the Class Action Fairness Act on July 27. Class counsel's request for attorneys' fees, filed April 27, is also before the court.The case was filed on April 6, 2021, and has been in litigation for more than five years. The lawsuit alleges that Walgreens paid departing Oregon employees their final wages on the next regular payday instead of by the deadline Oregon law sets. Under ORS 652.140, wages are generally due by the end of the next business day after a firing or a mutually agreed separation. ORS 652.150 adds a penalty when final pay is late. The penalty equals the worker's regular wages for each day the pay is late, up to 30 days.
On July 1, 2024, the court certified the class in part. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied Walgreens' request to appeal that ruling on August 29, 2024. The parties then settled with the help of mediator Henry J. Kantor, a retired judge, and Judge Mosman granted preliminary approval on February 9, 2026. Walgreens denies any wrongdoing and says it complied with state and federal law. Settling is not an admission of liability.
Who Qualifies?
The court certified this class:All employees of Walgreens who were terminated between April 6, 2018, through April 6, 2021; who did not abandon or walk off their job; and who received their final paycheck six or more days after their termination date.
The defendants are Walgreen Pharmacy Services Midwest, LLC, Walgreen Pharmacy Services Eastern, LLC and Walgreen Pharmacy Services Western, LLC. The claims arise under Oregon's final-paycheck statutes. The class list comes from Walgreens' payroll records and is filed under seal. Class counsel said discovery covered about 561 potential class members. That figure predates the court's narrowing of the class, so the final count may be lower.
The court rejected a separate, broader proposed class. That class would have covered employees moved from Walgreens Western or Walgreens Eastern to Walgreens Midwest on January 1, 2016. Those workers are not part of this settlement unless they also fit the definition above.
How Much Can You Get?
Walgreens will pay up to $2,500,000. Before anything goes to class members, the fund covers settlement administration (capped at $100,000), attorneys' fees and costs of up to $833,333.33 (one-third of the fund) and a service award of up to $7,500 for the lead plaintiff. If the court approves every requested amount, about $1,559,166.67 is left for class members.That money is split pro rata, according to each person's share of the total penalty the class is alleged to be owed, plus 9% statutory interest. Class counsel's motion explains the penalty calculation. Take the number of days between termination and final pay, subtract five, multiply by eight hours, then multiply by the employee's hourly rate. In the motion's example, a worker paid 15 days late at $30 an hour has a penalty of 10 × 8 × $30, or $2,400. Interest is added at 9% simple.
Each class member receives a proportional share of the net fund, which may be less than their full calculated penalty. Individual amounts are confidential under the agreement and are not published. The awards are statutory penalties under ORS 652.150, not back wages.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
None. There is no claim form, and no ID or document is needed to be paid. If the court grants final approval, the administrator mails each class member who did not opt out a check at their last known address. That address comes from Walgreens' records, updated through the national change-of-address database and skip tracing.What Is the Deadline?
There was never a claim deadline. The deadline that mattered was May 8, 2026, the last day to opt out or object, and it has passed. Anyone in the class who did not opt out by that date is bound by the settlement.The settlement releases Oregon wage-and-hour claims that were or could have been brought on the facts alleged in the lawsuit, covering the period through April 6, 2021. Workers' compensation, unemployment, vested retirement benefits and similar rights that cannot be waived are not released.
How Do You Take Action?
Class members do not have to do anything to be paid. Checks go to the mailing address on file. According to the settlement website, class members who have moved should give the administrator their new address. Contact options are on the official Walgreen Pharmacy Services Settlement website. That site also posts the notice, the settlement agreement and the fee motion.Settlement checks expire 120 days after they are issued. Uncashed or undeliverable checks are not redistributed to the class. That money goes half to a charity Walgreens chooses and half to Oregon legal aid groups chosen by class counsel.
What Happens Next?
The next step is the court's written ruling on final approval and on the fee and service-award requests. The agreement makes the settlement effective on final approval if no objections were filed. If objections were filed, it takes effect once the time to appeal runs out or any appeal is resolved. The administrator is to mail checks within 20 days after that effective date. The notice estimated that checks would go out about two months after the August 4 hearing if the settlement was approved without objections or appeals. As of October 4, 2026, OCA has not seen a final order or a confirmed mailing date.Sources and Verification
- Official Walgreen Pharmacy Services Settlement website (notice, FAQs and court documents)
- Notice of Pendency of Class Action Settlement (PDF)
- Court docket, Lemons v. Walgreen Pharmacy Services Midwest, LLC, No. 3:21-cv-00511-MO (D. Or.)
- Plaintiff's unopposed motion for preliminary approval (ECF 104)
- Declaration of Carl Post with the settlement agreement (ECF 105)
- Order granting preliminary approval, February 9, 2026 (ECF 108)
Questions
Can someone still join the Walgreens final paycheck settlement?
There is nothing to join. The class was fixed from Walgreens' payroll records, and anyone in it who did not opt out by May 8, 2026 stays in the settlement automatically. The opt-out and objection deadlines have passed.
Why does the class only cover paychecks that were six or more days late?
Oregon sets different final-pay deadlines depending on how a job ended. The court limited the class to paychecks six or more days late so it would not have to decide, worker by worker, who gave notice and who was let go. The payment formula subtracts the same five days from each person's late period.
What happens to settlement checks that are never cashed?
Checks are valid for 120 days. Money from uncashed or undeliverable checks is split, half to a charity Walgreens chooses and half to Oregon legal aid groups chosen by class counsel (Campaign for Equal Justice, Legal Aid Services of Oregon or the Oregon Law Center). It is not redistributed to the class.
Does any of the $2.5 million go back to Walgreens?
Only the unused part of the $100,000 set aside for settlement administration. Any fees or service award the court declines to approve are added back to the money paid to class members.
Official Settlement Notice
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Settlement Amount
$2,500,000 (maximum)
Case Title
Lemons v. Walgreen Pharmacy Services Midwest, LLC, et al.
Case Number
3:21-cv-00511-MO
Court
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
Final Approval Hearing
August 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Held before Judge Michael W. Mosman; written order pending
Administrator
Epiq
Official Website
Walgreen Pharmacy Services Settlement
