Target is facing a lawsuit alleging that the company fails to pay thousands of hourly workers for time spent walking from the entrance of its massive warehouses to their workstations. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Albany, claims that employees at two New York warehouses — each roughly 1.5 to 1.8 million square feet — must walk up to half a mile to clock in, costing them an estimated $1,000 to $2,000 per year in unpaid wages.
The plaintiffs, former employee Jeanna Kratzert and current employee Neil Mosher, seek class action status on behalf of about 2,000 workers at the Wilton and Amsterdam sites. They argue that Target violates New York labor law by not compensating for this walking time, which can amount to nearly 30 minutes per shift. The suit alleges that Target already tracks entry and exit times via badge swipes, making it technologically feasible to pay for that time.
The unpaid time is estimated to total more than $2 million annually, representing a 'massive wealth transfer' from workers earning between $39,000 and $57,000 a year to Target, a corporation with a net worth of over $43 billion. The lawsuit also claims that Target fails to pay overtime premiums for walking time that exceeds 40 hours per week.
Additionally, the suit notes that employees are subject to bag checks before entering the facility, though this is not a central complaint. The plaintiffs reserve the right to amend the complaint if further investigation reveals that such checks also contribute to unpaid working time. Target has been contacted for comment.
