Trucking company J.B. Hunt has agreed to pay millions of dollars to certain job applicants as part of a settlement in a class action lawsuit filed in Washington state.
The settlement, totaling $4,261,250, involves a class action suit (Haley v. J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.) and includes around 2,200 individuals, as per court documents filed on July 12, 2024, in King County, Washington.
The lawsuit claimed that J.B. Hunt violated Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act by not properly disclosing wages or salary ranges in their job postings.
This Act, which became effective in January 2023, mandates that employers doing business in Washington state must include a wage scale or salary range in their job advertisements.
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries specifies that job postings must provide a pay range, indicating both the minimum and maximum pay established by the employer prior to posting, such as $60,000-$80,000 annually. Phrases like “$60,000/per year and up” or “up to $29.00/hour” without a specified range are not permitted.
Under the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, workers have the right to sue if employers fail to include appropriate pay details in job listings.
The class action includes those who applied for a job at J.B. Hunt in Washington between January 1, 2023, and March 19, 2024.
A final approval hearing for the settlement is set for November 1, 2024.
