Hearthside Food Solutions Settlement: $4.5 Million for Workers Who Were Under 16
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The Hearthside Food Solutions settlement in the news is not a consumer case. It is a $4.5 million deal with the Illinois Attorney General and Illinois Department of Labor over alleged child labor at Hearthside's Illinois plants. If you worked at one of those plants while younger than 16 between March 1, 2020 and December 4, 2024, you can claim a share. The claim deadline is November 20, 2026, and you need documents.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Investigation Was About
Hearthside Food Solutions is a contract food manufacturer headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois. It makes products for other brands, so most shoppers never see its name. Early in 2023 a New York Times investigation reported that migrant children were working at Hearthside's Grand Rapids, Michigan facility.
On April 1, 2023 the Chicago Tribune reported that the Illinois Department of Labor and the Attorney General were jointly investigating Hearthside and the staffing agency Elite Staffing, and that subpoenas had been issued. In its 2025 Labor Day report, the Attorney General's office says the settlement resolved findings that minors were working as temporary employees in hazardous positions at Hearthside's Illinois facilities.
Hearthside denies it. The company said it never knowingly employed underage workers, blamed “one or more third-party staffing agencies,” and called its payment “in no way an admission” of liability.
Case Details
This is a state enforcement settlement, not a class action filed by private plaintiffs. Hearthside's parent filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on November 22, 2024, and the settlement agreement was filed in that court on December 6, 2024. Listing sites give the matter as In the matter of: The investigation by the Illinois Attorney General and the Illinois Department of Labor of Hearthside Food Solutions LLC, Case No. 24-90586 — the bankruptcy case number. The Attorney General's office dates the settlement to January 2025; trade press dates the agreement to early December 2024.
Status: Open for Claims Until November 20, 2026
Because this is an agreement with the state and not a class action, there is no opt-out deadline, no objection deadline and no final approval hearing. If you qualify, the only thing you do is file a claim with proof before the deadline.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by November 20, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Who Can File a Claim
You qualify if all three of these are true:
• You worked at a Hearthside Food Solutions facility in Illinois.
• You worked there at any time between March 1, 2020 and December 4, 2024.
• You were younger than 16 for some or all of that time.
It does not matter whether Hearthside hired you directly or a staffing agency placed you there. Temporary workers are included. Work at Hearthside plants in Michigan or other states does not count.
Proof is required. You need a document that shows your age, like a birth certificate or government ID, and a document that shows you worked at an Illinois Hearthside facility while under 16, like staffing agency payroll records or an employment agreement. If you are missing documents, contact the administrator before the deadline. You can give your tax ID number by phone instead of online at 800-410-0649.
How Much Each Person Gets
Your share depends on how many weeks you worked while under 16. The formula is 50% of the settlement amount, divided by the total weeks worked by everyone who files, multiplied by your own weeks. There is no fixed amount per person and no published estimate, because it depends on how many people file and how many weeks they worked. A small number of valid claims means larger checks.
Hearthside Child Labor Settlement Timeline
- 1
Early 2023 — The New York Times Report
A New York Times investigation reports that migrant children were working at Hearthside's Grand Rapids, Michigan facility. Hearthside blames staffing agencies.
- 2
April 1, 2023 — Illinois Opens an Investigation
The Chicago Tribune reports that the Illinois Department of Labor and Attorney General are jointly investigating Hearthside and Elite Staffing, and that subpoenas have been issued.
- 3
November 22, 2024 — Chapter 11 Filing
Hearthside's parent files for Chapter 11 in the Southern District of Texas, with a plan to cut more than $1.9 billion in debt.
- 4
December 2024 — $4.5 Million Settlement
The settlement covers work through December 4, 2024, and the agreement is filed in the bankruptcy court on December 6. Hearthside also agrees to set up hotlines and to use staffing agencies that follow best practices.
- 5
November 20, 2026 — Claim Deadline
This is the last day to file a claim with proof of age and proof that you worked at an Illinois Hearthside plant while under 16.
- 6
First Quarter 2027 — Expected Payments
The administrator expects to pay approved claimants between January and March 2027 and will announce the exact date closer to that time.
Three Things to Watch For
The people who qualify were children when they worked, and many were placed by staffing agencies. That makes them easy targets:
Staffing-agency “fees” to release your records
You may need payroll records from the agency that placed you. Nobody connected with the settlement can charge you a fee to file a claim or to get your share. Ask the agency for your records directly, and ask the administrator for help if you can't get them.
Threats about immigration status
Many of the workers in this case were reported to be migrant teenagers. Someone who says you must pay or give extra personal details to avoid being “reported” has nothing to do with the settlement. The official claim asks only for proof of age and proof that you worked at the plant.
Lookalike claim sites and callers
The only official website is HearthsideFSSettlement.com, and the administrator is Atticus Administration (800-410-0649, PO Box 64053, St. Paul, MN 55164). Do not trust a site with a different address, or a caller who promises a set dollar amount. No amount per person has been set.
Hearthside Food Solutions Settlement — Questions People Ask
Is there a Hearthside Food Solutions lawsuit or class action I can join?
Most people searching for a Hearthside Food Solutions lawsuit or Hearthside Food Solutions class action are looking for this case: a $4.5 million settlement of a state child labor investigation by the Illinois Attorney General and Illinois Department of Labor. It was not a private class action, and there is nothing to join. You either qualify and file a claim by November 20, 2026, or you don't qualify. We found no Hearthside wage or biometric-privacy class settlement taking claims as of October 2026.
I bought food made by Hearthside. Can I get money?
No. This settlement is only for people who worked at a Hearthside facility in Illinois while younger than 16, between March 1, 2020 and December 4, 2024. It has nothing to do with consumers or the products.
I was placed at Hearthside by a staffing agency. Do I qualify?
Yes, if you meet the age, location and date requirements. The settlement covers both direct-hire employees and temporary workers placed by staffing agencies.
I am an adult now. Can I still file?
Yes. What matters is that you were under 16 for some or all of the time you worked at an Illinois Hearthside facility between March 1, 2020 and December 4, 2024, not how old you are today.
How much will I get?
No amount has been published. Workers share up to $2,250,000 based on the number of weeks each person worked while under 16. Your share depends on how many people file and how many weeks they worked in total.
What proof do I need?
A document that shows your age, like a birth certificate or government ID, and a document that shows you worked at an Illinois Hearthside facility while under 16, like staffing agency payroll records or an employment agreement. If you don't have everything, contact Atticus Administration at 800-410-0649 before November 20, 2026.
When will payments be sent?
The administrator expects to pay approved claimants in the first quarter of 2027, and it may contact claimants about how they want to be paid. No exact date has been announced.
Did Hearthside admit it used child labor?
No. Hearthside denies violating child labor laws and said its payment was not an admission of liability. The Attorney General's office describes the settlement as resolving findings that minors worked as temporary employees in hazardous positions at its Illinois facilities.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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