Employees at two large Target distribution centers have filed a lawsuit, claiming they weren’t paid for time spent walking to their workstations.

The hourly staffers, who pack and ship products from warehouses larger than 31 football fields, say some walks took as long as 30 minutes.

They say they are owed thousands in back pay. 

Target, which has faced months of slowing sales and a recent CEO shakeup, was already grappling with staff frustrated at bad management.

If the lawsuit becomes a class-action, it could become the latest sign of strain between Target’s entry-level employees and company management. 

Hugh Baran from Katz Banks Kumin, leading the legal action, informed the Daily Mail, ‘We’ve received reports from numerous workers regarding breaches of the New York Labor Law at Target’s warehouses in upstate New York.’

‘Our clients filed this lawsuit for a simple reason: hourly workers in New York should be paid for all their hours worked.’  

The legal complaint was initiated by both a current and a former Target employee, who had been employed at a warehouse located in Wilton, New York, roughly 30 minutes from Albany.

Distribution center employees have filed a lawsuit against Target saying the sites require a long walk before they can clock in for work

According to Target’s job listings, wages for workers at this site range from $20 to $27 per hour, varying by position. The lawsuit suggests that employees might be entitled to $1,000 to $2,000 each year.

The average hourly worker earns between $39,000 and $57,000 per year, the suit stated. 

The lawsuit states, ‘Hourly workers in the warehouses must cover long distances — up to around half a mile — to reach their designated departments in these extremely large industrial facilities.’

This lawsuit, unlike earlier worker-compensation cases, is specific to New York employees and emphasizes state labor laws. In contrast, previous legal actions against firms such as Amazon and Walmart concentrated on federal employee rights.

Target didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment. 

Target’s tumble 

It’s been a rough year for the bullseye brand. 

Target, once one of America’s favorite retailers, has built an image as a premium retail shopping experience.

Target shoppers have seen increasingly messy stores, experts told Daily Mail – and that is showing up in the retailer’s national sales data

Cornell said he would step down from his position at the start of 2026 – he will stay on board as the executive chairman

Target employees said their clock-in stations are deep inside the building, which can take up to 30-minutes to reach from the front door

But American shoppers, still grappling with high inflation, have turned to retailers that emphasize low prices. 

Meanwhile, companies like Walmart and Dollar General have reported robust sales in their recent earnings quarter, whereas Target noted a decrease in customer visits.

To make matters worse, Target was caught in two major culture-war clashes: first, conservatives fumed over its Pride collections, then liberals criticized the company’s retreat on DEI hiring initiatives. 

After months of declining sales, the company’s top boss, CEO Brian Cornell, announced he would step down from his position after 11 years. His final day will be January 31, 2026. 

But analysts hoping for fresh blood in the corporate suites were disappointed by his replacement. 

Target decided to promote from within its ranks, naming Michael Fiddelke, the current chief operating officer, as its next boss.

The company’s stock fell 10 percent following the announcement of the new CEO.