Walgreens will pay Americans up to $918.28 in pharmacy deal — and no receipt needed to get cash

AMERICANS are expected to receive a payment of up to $918.28 after Walgreens reaches a settlement.

The drugstore chain has settled a class action lawsuit it claims blocked employment opportunities.

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Americans will benefit, including those who applied for positions at the company but were blocked due to background checks, for Superior class shares.

The national pharmacy chain allegedly failed to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA) by denying employment to applicants based on background reports, according to the lawsuit.

FRCA claims Walgreens failed to send adequate email notifications when alerting applicants that they were denied.

The settlement benefits candidates who applied to work at Walgreens but were denied employment due to background checks between March 30, 2020 and May 17, 2022.

Walgreens did not admit that it failed to comply with the FRCA, but agreed to settle for an undisclosed amount.

Under the terms of the settlement, all class members can receive up to $100 in payments.

If students planned to contact Walgreens to explain or dispute their background check, but did not do so because of the email they received denying them employment, they could be charged an additional $818.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is May 23, with the final hearing taking place on July 23.

What is a class action settlement?

Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or “classes,” a way to come together in court.

These lawsuits are often filed by one or a few people who allege that a company or other entity has harmed a large group of people.

When a lawsuit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar claims to those who filed the lawsuit.

Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue legal action by accepting money.

These payment agreements often include statements from the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.

Pollution, discrimination or false advertising are some examples of what can lead to a class action lawsuit at a company’s door.

The last few years have been difficult for the pharmacy chain.

In late 2023, Walgreens corporate executives announced the closure of 150 stores nationwide.

The closures will result in the dismissal of more than 500 employees, reducing the company’s overall headcount by 10%.

In an earnings call regarding the closure of a Washington store, Walgreens cited “challenging macroeconomic conditions and an anticipated slow start to the cough, cold and flu season contributed to weaker retail performance” as one of the reasons why behind the store closing.

Walgreens is just one of many retailers that have closed due to challenging economic conditions.

So far in 2024, up to 3,000 stores could close before the end of the year.

Included in the mass retail store closures are other large retail pharmacy chains such as CVS and Rite Aid.

Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 after its shares plunged 80%, causing the company to lose $1 billion, Forbes reported.

The pharmacy chain cited a “confluence of operational and financial factors” in its bankruptcy filing.