Papa John’s has agreed to a $20 million class action settlement over allegations that certain franchise agreements and related policies unlawfully limited job mobility for hourly workers. The case centers on “no-poach” practices—restrictions that can prevent one location from recruiting or hiring employees from another location within the same brand—which critics say suppress wages and reduce competition for labor. According to the settlement website, people who worked at a Papa John’s location between December 18, 2014 and December 31, 2021 may be included, with payments varying by eligibility, a claim deadline of 3/16/26, and no proof of employment required. The lawsuit was filed because plaintiffs alleged these no-poach terms functioned like an agreement among competing employers to avoid bidding for the same workers, a potential violation of U.S. antitrust laws designed to protect competitive markets. Its significance is that it frames labor as a market where workers benefit when employers compete for talent—especially in high-turnover industries like quick-service restaurants—so limits on recruiting can have real effects on pay, hours, and advancement. The settlement also reflects a broader shift toward treating certain hiring restraints not as routine contract clauses, but as conduct that may illegally restrain trade when it limits opportunities for frontline employees. More broadly, the case fits into a national wave of similar challenges involving major franchised brands, as regulators and private plaintiffs increasingly scrutinize “no-poach” and wage-fixing arrangements. The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have issued guidance warning that naked no-poach agreements between employers can be illegal, and multiple states have pursued enforcement actions leading companies to remove such clauses from franchise contracts. For franchise-heavy sectors like fast food, the litigation underscores growing regulatory and courtroom pressure to ensure franchise systems don’t operate in ways that effectively coordinate hiring decisions among locations that otherwise compete for workers in the same local labor markets.