Papa John's Employee Antitrust $5 Million Settlement Deadline Approaching — File by March 16, 2026

The March 16, 2026 deadline for the Papa John’s Employee Antitrust settlement is now less than four weeks out. Former Papa John’s workers who have not yet filed a claim are running short on time to collect their share of the $5 million fund.

File Before It Is Too Late

The claim deadline is March 16, 2026, leaving 25 days to submit your claim. If you worked at Papa John’s during the covered period, getting your claim in now means you will not have to think about it again.

Who Is Included in This Settlement?

Class members in this settlement include individuals who meet the following conditions: (What is a class member?)

• You must have been employed at a Papa John’s-branded restaurant in the United States (either corporate-owned or franchise-owned).
• You must have worked at any time between December 18, 2014, and December 31, 2021.
• You must have received more than $200 in total compensation during this period.

This is a nationwide settlement, so where you live does not affect your eligibility.

Visit the Papa John’s Employee Antitrust Class Action Settlement page for the complete settlement eligibility breakdown and to check if you are a class member.

The Case Behind the Settlement

Court filings allege that Papa John’s embedded “no-poach” and “no-hire” clauses in its franchise agreements, which barred franchisees from recruiting workers away from other Papa John’s locations. Plaintiffs argued that these restrictions kept employees trapped within their current location, suppressing wages and cutting off job advancement opportunities in violation of federal antitrust law. This is one of several recent employment settlements targeting similar hiring restrictions in the fast food and franchise industries.

Papa John’s denies any wrongdoing but agreed to a $5 million settlement to resolve the claims rather than face the cost and uncertainty of a trial.

This settlement stems from In Re Papa John’s Employee and Franchise Employee Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:18-cv-00825-BJB-RSE, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

What Is the Settlement Payout?

The total settlement fund is $5 million, with an estimated $3,485,956.77 available for distribution to class members after fees and costs. Your individual payout will depend.

Attorney fees can reach up to 25% of the fund, approximately $1,250,000 in this case, which is deducted before any payments go out to claimants.

For the full payout breakdown, see the Papa John’s Employee Antitrust Class Action Settlement page.

How to File a Claim

To file, visit the official settlement website and enter the Unique ID and PIN included in your mailed or emailed notice. If you did not receive a notice, reach out directly to the Settlement Administrator by phone or email to get your claim started. You can submit the claim form either online or by mail.

You can file a claim online at the official settlement claim form.

See the Papa John’s Employee Antitrust Class Action Settlement page for detailed filing instructions and the settlement claim form.

First time filing a class action claim? Here is a helpful guide: Can You Join a Class Action After Settlement?

Filing a class action claim is generally protected activity, and employers are not permitted to retaliate against you for participating in a settlement.

Settlement Administrator

The settlement administrator for this case (Case No. 3:18-cv-00825-BJB-RSE) is A.B. Data. You can reach them by phone at 800-526-8244 or email at info@papajohnsemployeesettlement.com.

Mailing address: Papa John’s Employee Settlement, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd. P.O. Box 173013, Milwaukee, WI 53217

With 25 days remaining, the window to file is still open, but it will not stay that way. The full Papa John’s Employee Antitrust settlement details page has complete eligibility information, a quick eligibility checker, court documents, and the claim form. The deadline is March 16, 2026.

Papa John’s Employee Antitrust Settlement: Questions Before You File