New York Recovers Back Wages for TJX Employees
The state labor department secured over $674,000 for workers after an investigation into payroll practices.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Employment
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The New York State Department of Labor recovered $674,526 in back wages for 7,577 employees of The TJX Companies. The investigation revealed that workers were not properly compensated for workdays exceeding 10 hours.
Why it matters
This recovery addresses violations of state labor regulations regarding the spread of hours pay. It ensures that employees are adequately compensated for long workdays in accordance with New York law.
The recovery stems from an audit of 185 locations covering payroll records from August 2020 through August 2023. Individual payments to impacted employees reached as high as $4,686.
The players
New York State Department of Labor
This state agency is responsible for enforcing labor laws, including wage and hour regulations, and overseeing workplace safety throughout New York.
The TJX Companies
This major retail corporation operates off-price apparel and home fashions stores, including brands such as Marshalls and TJ Maxx.
The details
State investigators triggered the process after an unannounced visit to a Bronx Marshalls store uncovered violations of the state's spread of hours rule. The company subsequently conducted a self-audit to rectify the failure to provide the required additional hour of pay for shifts spanning more than 10 hours.
Timeline
August 2020: Beginning of the payroll period covered by the self-audit.
April 2023: The Department of Labor initiated the investigation.
August 2023: End of the payroll period covered by the self-audit.
October 30, 2026: The Department of Labor announced the wage recovery.
Macro View
This enforcement action aligns with New York State's spread of hours rule, which mandates additional compensation for long workdays. This recovery follows a broader trend where the state recovered $35 million in unpaid wages in 2025 alone.
Employees at affected TJX locations are receiving payments to correct past payroll inaccuracies. This ensures workers receive the legally required compensation for long shifts, directly impacting their total earnings for the period between 2020 and 2023.
The takeaway
Workers should monitor their pay stubs to ensure that long shifts are compensated in compliance with state law. Maintaining records of hours worked is a critical step for employees to verify they receive all mandated pay premiums.
Further reading
Learn more about labor standards and worker rights on the New York Employment page.
More information
For information on how to report wage theft or file a claim, visit the Department of Labor wage complaint filing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRGB.
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