Target Colorado Unpaid Wages Lawsuit, Were You Affected? Case No. 2026CV32601

If you worked as an hourly Target employee in Colorado, you may be the kind of worker this lawsuit is about. Is there a lawsuit against Target for unpaid wages in Colorado? Yes. Case No. 2026CV32601 is a proposed class action in Arapahoe County, Colorado state court. It alleges unpaid work time, interrupted breaks and unreimbursed work costs. Nothing has been proven, and there’s no settlement, payout or claim form yet.

Target Colorado Unpaid Wages Lawsuit — Key Facts

Detail	What we know
Lawsuit Filed	Reported by Law360 on September 29, 2026, shortly after filing. The exact filing date isn’t confirmed
Defendant	Target Corp.
Plaintiff	A former Target hourly, non-exempt employee in Colorado (name not confirmed)
Alleged Harm	Hourly Colorado workers allegedly not paid for all time worked (off-the-clock work, late, shortened, missed or interrupted meal and rest breaks) and not repaid for business expenses
Law Alleged	Colorado Constitution and Colorado wage and hour laws, including minimum pay, overtime and break rules, according to press reports. The complaint hasn’t been reviewed for this article
Who Is Affected	No class has been certified. The proposed class is reported as current and former hourly, non-exempt Target employees in Colorado
Court & Case Number	Arapahoe County, Colorado state court, No. 2026CV32601
Plaintiff’s Counsel	Miri K. Trauner and Jonathan Apsan of Lawyers for Justice P.C., as reported
Current Stage	Early stage. No class certification or ruling reported
Lead Plaintiff Deadline	Not applicable (wage case)
Settlement Status	None reported as of October 5, 2026
Last Updated	October 5, 2026

Who Is Target and Why Is It Being Sued Over Unpaid Wages in Colorado?

Target Corp. is a national retailer that runs stores staffed largely by hourly workers on set shifts. That’s where break rules and clock-in rules matter most, because small gaps repeat across thousands of shifts. According to press reports of the complaint, the plaintiff worked for Target as an hourly, non-exempt employee in Colorado from about September 2018 to June 2026.

If you clocked in at a Colorado Target, this is your paycheck being described.

What Does the Lawsuit Allege?

Press reports say the complaint alleges Target didn’t pay hourly Colorado workers for all the time they worked. The reported allegations include:

• Working before or after recorded shifts, or off the clock
• Meal periods that were late, shortened, missed or interrupted by work
• Rest periods that were skipped because work continued
• Business expenses that Target didn’t reimburse

The complaint reportedly argues those unreimbursed costs pushed some workers’ effective pay below the wage Colorado law requires, and that the practices weren’t isolated but affected other hourly Target employees in the state.

These are the plaintiff’s allegations. Target hasn’t been found liable, and we found no public response from Target. We haven’t reviewed the complaint itself.

What Do Colorado’s Break Rules Say?

Colorado’s wage rulebook is the COMPS Order, published by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE). According to CDLE guidance:

• Meal periods: On shifts longer than five hours, workers are entitled to an uninterrupted, duty-free 30-minute meal period. If the work makes that impractical, the worker must be allowed to eat on duty, and that time is paid.
• Rest breaks: Workers get a paid 10-minute rest period for every four hours worked.
• Minimum wage: CDLE lists $15.16 an hour as Colorado’s 2026 minimum wage.

Whether Target’s actual practices broke any of these rules is exactly what the court hasn’t decided. A missed break doesn’t automatically mean the same amount of damages, and the outcome depends on the facts and the rules that apply.

A 30-minute lunch you spent working is, under Colorado’s rule, paid time. Whether yours was is a question for your own records.

Related article: Educational Computer Systems Data Breach Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Hood, et al. v. Educational Computer Systems, Inc., No. 2:24-cv-00666-CCW

Are You Part of the Target Colorado Unpaid Wages Lawsuit?

No court has approved a class, so what follows is our reading of who the reported complaint is about, not an official list. The proposed class is reported as current and former hourly-paid, non-exempt Target employees who worked in Colorado from three years before the filing through final judgment. The plaintiff reportedly estimates the class at about 50 or more people. That’s an estimate in the complaint, not a court finding.

• Hourly workers in Colorado: The suit is described as covering hourly Target employees in the state.
• Non-exempt employees: “Non-exempt” generally means eligible for overtime.
• Former employees: The plaintiff left Target in June 2026 and is still suing, so leaving the company doesn’t by itself remove you from the picture.
• Anyone with interrupted breaks or off-the-clock tasks: Those are the practices alleged.
• Not clearly included: Salaried or exempt managers and workers outside Colorado.

Target Employees Outside Colorado — Are You Still Covered?

This is a state-court case about Colorado law, so it concerns Colorado workers. Employees in other states have their own wage laws and their own deadlines.

Can Heirs, Temp Workers, or Former Employees Claim in the Lawsuit?

Nobody can claim anything yet, because no class is certified and no settlement exists. Wage classes usually cover individual employees who did the work, not businesses or households. If a class is certified or the case settles, the notice would say whether an estate can claim for a worker who has died, how seasonal or temporary workers are treated, and how to update a changed name or address.

Not sure if you’re covered by the Target Colorado wage lawsuit? A free consultation with an employment attorney can help you understand your options before you decide anything.

Your pay stubs and schedules are the best evidence that you worked there, so find them first.

What Is the Plaintiff Asking the Court to Award?

Press reports say the plaintiff seeks, for the proposed class:

• Unpaid minimum and regular wages
• Liquidated damages and restitution
• Statutory penalties and interest
• Declaratory and injunctive relief
• Attorneys’ fees and costs

The plaintiff also reportedly demands a jury trial. No dollar total has been reported, and nothing has been awarded.

No money yet. No claim form yet.

What Could Target Colorado Workers Receive If This Settles?

Impossible to predict. It depends on how many workers are in the class, how much unpaid time the records show, and what the sides negotiate. Wage cases sometimes settle for a fund split among workers. Others get dismissed.

Any site that quotes you a dollar amount for this case right now is guessing.

What Should Target Colorado Workers Do Right Now?

1. Don’t pay anyone. There’s no claim form for this lawsuit. A request for fees, your Social Security number or bank login to “join” it is a red flag.
2. Keep your pay records. Pay stubs, W-2s, schedules, handbooks and any app or screenshot showing clock-in and clock-out times matter most.
3. Write down what happened. Note your store, job title, dates of work in Colorado, and how often a break was cut short or you worked after clocking out. Dates beat generalities.
4. Save proof of work expenses. Keep receipts and messages about anything you paid for out of pocket for the job.
5. Don’t assume a difference proves a violation. A gap between scheduled and paid hours isn’t automatically unlawful, but records help if a dispute comes up.
6. Watch the docket. The case is Arapahoe County, Colorado, No. 2026CV32601. We’ll log updates at the top of this page.
7. Know your own options. An employment attorney can explain them, including whether to file a wage complaint with Colorado’s Division of Labor Standards and Statistics. Check the CDLE website for the current process and deadlines.

Fifteen minutes with a shoebox of old pay stubs now beats a hunt for them later.

Target Colorado Unpaid Wages Lawsuit — Full Timeline

Date	Event	Source
September 2018	Plaintiff begins working for Target as an hourly, non-exempt employee (reported)	Press reports of the complaint
June 2026	Plaintiff’s employment ends (reported)	Press reports of the complaint
On or about September 28–29, 2026	Lawsuit filed in Arapahoe County, Colorado state court; reported September 29	Law360
Not yet reported	Target’s response, any move to federal court or motion to dismiss
Not yet reported	Class certification decision
None reported as of October 5, 2026	Settlement

Target Colorado Unpaid Wages Lawsuit — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 2026CV32601

Is there a class action against Target right now over Colorado wages? 

Yes, a proposed class action. A former Target employee filed it in Arapahoe County, Colorado state court. No class has been certified, and we found no report of a response from Target.

Do I need to do anything to be part of the Target lawsuit? 

Not at this stage. People generally file nothing until a class is certified or a settlement creates a claims process. There’s no claim form, so anyone selling you a spot is a red flag.

What does the Target lawsuit allege? 

That hourly Colorado workers did off-the-clock work, had meal and rest breaks missed or interrupted, and weren’t reimbursed for work expenses. These allegations haven’t been proven.

Is there a Target unpaid wages settlement? 

No. No settlement or claims process has been reported.

When will the case settle? 

Nobody can say. The case is brand new, and Target’s response and class certification are still ahead. Wage class actions can take a long time, and some end without a class payout.

Can I file my own wage claim against Target instead? 

Possibly, but that’s a legal decision with time limits. Colorado’s Division of Labor Standards and Statistics handles wage complaints, and a lawsuit is another route. An employment attorney can review your options, including whether your employment terms limit individual suits.

How will I find out if the case settles?

 A court-approved notice would normally go to class members by mail or email. We’ll update this page.

What does “lead plaintiff” mean here?

 The plaintiff is the named worker who asks to represent the proposed class. Formal lead plaintiff deadlines are a securities-case process, and none applies here.

What laws does Target allegedly violate?

 Press reports say the complaint cites the Colorado Constitution and Colorado wage and hour laws on minimum pay, overtime and breaks. We haven’t confirmed the specific provisions.

How much could class members get? 

No amount is set. The plaintiff reportedly seeks unpaid wages, damages, penalties and interest, but nothing has been awarded. Any per-person figure today would be a guess.

Sources Used in This Target Colorado Unpaid Wages Article

• Court case — Case No. 2026CV32601, Arapahoe County, Colorado: complaint and docket not reviewed
• News report — Law360, “Target Accused Of Shorting Colo. Workers On Pay And Breaks,” September 29, 2026 (paywalled; context only): https://www.law360.com/classaction/articles/2531484
• Government source — Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, INFO #1: 2026 COMPS & PAYCALC Orders (meal periods, rest periods and 2026 minimum wage): https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/info_%231_2026_comps_&_paycalc_orders_12.18.25.pdf

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. Facts checked against Colorado Department of Labor and Employment guidance and press reports on October 5, 2026. The complaint and court docket were not reviewed. We’ll update this article when we’ve reviewed them. Last Updated: October 5, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.