Valnet Content Creator Misclassification Settlement

Your class payment has two parts. First, it includes the amount needed to bring any earlier payment you received for releasing Class Period claims up to $600, unless that earlier payment was already $600 or more. Second, it includes a share of the remaining Net Settlement based on your Class Period time worked.

The $600 figure is not a flat payment for everyone. The final class-payment amount also depends on the Court-approved deductions, other participating class members, your time worked, and any Previous Release Payment.

The PAGA payment is separate from the class payment. PAGA is a California law that allows civil penalties to be sought for Labor Code violations. The notice sets aside $12,500 for individual PAGA payments. Each eligible person's share is based on their PAGA Period time worked compared with the total PAGA Period time worked by all eligible people.

If you qualify for both payments and do not opt out of the class settlement, the Administrator will send them together as one payment.

The notice lists your Class Period and PAGA Period months based on Valnet's records. Time worked is measured from the earlier qualifying start date to the later qualifying end date, rounded up to a whole month. Only time when you were classified as an independent contractor and gave Valnet a California home address counts.

If you think the listed time is wrong, send the Administrator a signed letter by mail or email by December 28, 2026. Include copies of pay stubs or other records that show different information. Do not send originals. The Administrator makes the final decision, and the notice says that decision cannot be appealed.

You may leave the class settlement by sending a written, signed exclusion request to the Administrator by December 28, 2026. Include your name, current address, telephone number, a statement that you want to be excluded, and identifying information for the case. You must make the request yourself.

If you opt out, you will not receive a class payment and keep the right to personally pursue Class Period wage-and-hour claims. But you cannot opt out of the PAGA part. If you are an Aggrieved Employee, you can still receive a PAGA payment and will release the PAGA claims covered by the settlement.

You do not need to submit a claim form. Payments will ordinarily be sent to the PayPal account Valnet used to pay you. If you were not paid through PayPal, or the Administrator cannot confirm the account, the Administrator will mail a check.

You can ask for a different PayPal account or payment method before payments are made. If you receive a check, it goes to the address where you received this notice, so tell the Administrator promptly if your address changes.

The notice does not give a specific date when individual payments will be sent. It says Valnet's scheduled funding dates may be extended if final approval has not occurred by then. It also says the settlement becomes void if final approval is denied or a judgment is reversed on appeal.

The Court has not yet made a final approval decision. The final approval hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2027, but the hearing could be rescheduled.

The Administrator will report both class and PAGA payments on IRS Form 1099. If your payments exceed $2,000, you will be asked to complete a Form W-9. If you do not return it, the Administrator must withhold 24% of your payment.

The notice does not provide tax advice and says recipients are responsible for taxes on settlement payments. Consider consulting a tax adviser if you have questions about your own tax situation.