Publix to Pay $6.8 Million in Class Action Settlement

Publix Super Markets Inc. is scheduled to pay nearly $6.8 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement over background checks. The lawsuit, being handled in Tennessee federal court, alleges that Publix violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by not making legally required disclosures about background checks to job applicants. Publix has denied any wrongdoing and was not found liable in court, but agreed to the settlement “because of the substantial expense of litigation … and the disruption to its business operations,” according to legal documents filed in July.

The settlement includes people who applied for work at Publix stores and were subjected to background checks during the period March 12, 2012, to May 13, 2014.

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