What is the settlement amount?

The settlement provides for a minimum fund of $1,688,940 and a maximum fund of $2,706,000, depending on how many class members submitted valid and timely claim forms.

What was the claim deadline?

The claim form had to be postmarked by August 4, 2025. The claim period is now closed.

How much will class members get paid?

Each approved claimant will receive an equal share of the net settlement fund. The notice estimates a minimum payment of about $706.34 per person, with a possible amount up to approximately $5,000, depending on how many valid claims were submitted.

When are settlement payments expected?

Checks will be mailed to eligible class members only after the Court grants final approval and the settlement becomes fully effective. Payments are expected sometime in 2026, after the October 10, 2025 final approval hearing and any appeals. Checks will be void 181 days after issuance.

Do class members need to submit proof?

Class membership is based on Potbelly records and a signed claim form. The settlement notice does not require applicants to submit separate proof such as job postings or screenshots with the claim form.

What are my options if I was in the class?

During the claims period, class members could submit a claim form, exclude themselves from the settlement, object to the settlement, or do nothing. The deadlines to claim, exclude, or object were August 4, 2025. If you did not exclude yourself, you are bound by the settlement release even if you did not submit a claim.

Potbelly Washington Pay Transparency Class Action Settlement

By Steve Levine

Potbelly Washington Pay Transparency Settlement

Published: November 22, 2025

Status: Proposed Settlement, Claims Closed

Settlement Amount: $1,688,940 to $2,706,000

Claim Form Deadline: August 4, 2025 (Passed)

What Is the Potbelly Class Action About?

You may be part of a new $1.69 million to $2.71 million class action settlement reached with Potbelly Sandwich Works, LLC over allegations that some Washington job postings did not comply with the pay transparency provisions of the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act.

Settlement Status Update for December 2025

As of December 2025 the Potbelly Washington pay transparency settlement has received final court approval. The final approval hearing was held on October 10, 2025, and the judge granted approval of the settlement on that date. The claims period closed on August 4, 2025, so no new claim forms, opt outs, or objections are being accepted.

According to the settlement administrator, Potbelly is expected to fund the settlement by mid December 2025. If there are no appeals or delays in funding, checks are currently scheduled to be mailed to approved claimants around December 24, 2025. Class members who submitted valid and timely claim forms do not need to take any further action at this time other than keeping their mailing address up to date with the administrator.

The lawsuit claims that Potbelly job ads in Washington did not include the required wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits or other compensation. Potbelly denies any wrongdoing and contends it complied with the law, but agreed to settle to avoid ongoing litigation risk and costs.

Who Was Included in the Settlement?

According to the settlement notice, the Settlement Class includes:

• All individuals who, between January 1, 2023 and November 13, 2023, applied for a job opening in the State of Washington with Potbelly Sandwich Works, LLC

• Where the job posting did not disclose the wage scale or salary range and or a general description of benefits or other compensation for the position

Notices were mailed to people identified in Potbelly records as likely class members. If you received a mailed notice, it means the administrator believed you were in the class.

How Do I Qualify for a Payout?

To receive money from this settlement, class members had to both meet the class definition above and submit a valid claim form by mail.

Simply being in the class is not enough to get paid. If you did not mail a claim form that was postmarked by August 4, 2025, you will not receive a payment, even if you were in the class and received a notice.

How Much Can I Get Paid?

All approved claimants will receive an equal share of the net settlement fund. The notice estimates:

• A minimum payment of about $706.34 per claimant
• A possible payment as high as about $5,000, depending on how many valid and timely claims are submitted

Payments will be characterized as non wage damages and interest and will be reported on a Form 1099 MISC.

How Do I File a Claim?

The claim period is closed.

During the claims window, class members had to complete, sign, and mail a paper claim form to the settlement administrator, postmarked by August 4, 2025. Claim forms were mailed with the official notice and could also be obtained at the official settlement website:

https://ilymgroup.com/PotbellySandwich

Claims are now past the deadline, and new claim forms are not expected to be accepted.

What Is the Claim Form Deadline?

The claim form deadline was:

• August 4, 2025

If your claim form was not postmarked by that date, it is considered late and will likely be rejected.

How Many People Are Affected?

The notice does not list an exact class size. The Settlement Class covers all people who applied for Potbelly jobs in Washington during the class period where the job posting allegedly did not include required pay and benefits information. The total number of people who actually submitted claims will determine the final per person payout.

Key Dates and Timeline

Here are the main dates from the settlement notice:

• Mailing date of notice: June 4, 2025
• Claim form deadline: August 4, 2025
• Opt out deadline: August 4, 2025
• Objection deadline: August 4, 2025
• Final Approval Hearing: October 10, 2025

When Will Settlement Payments Be Sent?

Payments are not issued until after the Court grants final approval and the settlement becomes fully effective.

As of the revised date on this article, the claim deadline has passed. The final approval hearing was scheduled for October 10, 2025. If the Court grants final approval and there are no successful appeals, checks will be mailed to class members who submitted valid and timely claim forms. The notice states that checks will expire and become void 181 days after issuance.

While there is no exact payment date listed, it is reasonable to expect that approved payments will be mailed sometime in 2026 after the Court finishes reviewing the settlement and any appeals are resolved.

Will Potbelly Retaliate Against Class Members?

The settlement notice states that Potbelly supports the settlement and will not retaliate against any class member for participating, not participating, or objecting. Your choice regarding the settlement is not supposed to affect any past or future employment with Potbelly.

What Rights Do I Give Up in This Settlement?

Unless you opted out by August 4, 2025, you are bound by the settlement if the Court grants final approval. That means you release Potbelly and related parties from all claims that were asserted or could have been asserted in the lawsuit based on the same facts. In plain terms, you cannot bring another lawsuit over the same allegations about Washington job postings and pay transparency for the class period.

If you opted out on time, you keep your right to pursue your own claims but will not receive money from this settlement.

How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?

Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:

What Were My Options?

During the response period, class members had four main options:

• Submit a claim form by mail to receive a payment if eligible
• Do nothing and stay in the class, receive no payment, and still be bound by the release
• Opt out by mailing a valid exclusion request, keep the right to sue Potbelly separately, and receive no settlement payment
• Object to the settlement terms by writing to the Court while remaining in the class

All of these claims deadlines were August 4, 2025.

How to Opt Out (Now Expired)

To exclude themselves, class members had to mail a letter to the settlement administrator with their name, address, a statement that they wanted to be excluded from the Potbelly settlement, and a signature, postmarked by August 4, 2025. Group opt outs and email or phone opt outs were not allowed.

Because the deadline has passed, new opt outs are not expected to be accepted.

How to Object (Now Expired)

Objecting was different from opting out. Class members who wanted the Court to reject or change the settlement could file a written objection with King County Superior Court and mail copies to the settlement administrator and both sides lawyers by August 4, 2025.

Objections had to include contact information, the case name and number, reasons for the objection, information about any past objections in other cases, and a signature. Class members who opted out could not object.

The objection deadline has passed.

Settlement Website: ILYMGroup.com/PotbellySandwich

Visit Settlement Website

Official Settlement Notice

The full legal notice, including detailed definitions, release language, and instructions, is available through the official settlement website:

• Official Class Action Settlement Site

Sources

• Official Settlement Website: Settlement Site

• Superior Court of Washington, King County, Jones et al. v. Potbelly Sandwich Works, LLC et al., Case No. 24-2-12991-0 SEA

Filing Class Action Settlement Claims

Please submit only truthful information when you file any class action claim. False claims can be rejected and may carry penalties. If you are ever unsure whether you qualify for a settlement, review the official notice or contact the administrator directly. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not a settlement administrator or a law firm.

For more class actions keep scrolling below.

Open Class Action Lawsuit and Class Action Settlement

Uber Lyft RideShare Abuse Lawsuit

Deadline: Pending

Submit Claim

$5.5M Mid America Pet Food Settlementt

Deadline: February 5, 2026

Submit Claim

File a rebate form to get a coupon, refund, rebate, or payment from this class action settlement

$30M YouTube Privacy Settlement

Deadline: January 21, 2026

Submit Claim

$87.5M Beef Prices Settlement

Deadline: June 30, 2026

Submit Claim

Class Action Summary
Status	Proposed Settlement, Claims Closed
Claim Form Deadline	August 4, 2025 (Passed)
Settlement Amount	$1,688,940 minimum to $2,706,000 maximum
Category	Employment Pay Transparency, Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act
Estimated Payout per Person	Equal share of net fund. Estimated minimum about $706.34 per claimant, up to approximately $5,000.
Case Number	24-2-12991-0 SEA
Case Title	Jones et al. v. Potbelly Sandwich Works, LLC et al.
Court	Superior Court of Washington, King County
Final Approval Hearing	October 10, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.
Claim Website	Settlement Website
Administrator	ILYM Group, Inc. (P.O. Box 2031, Tustin, CA 92781, Tel. (888) 250-6810)