McKinney v. Scale AI Contributor Misclassification Settlement
What this is about
Former California independent contractors and workers placed by HireArt allege Scale AI and related entities misclassified them as independent contractors or exempt employees, failing to pay minimum wages, overtime, wages due at termination, and to provide meal/rest breaks, reimbursements, and accurate wage statements, plus PAGA penalties.
The background
A group of related California wage-and-hour actions, McKinney, et al. v. Scale AI, Inc., et al., Case No. CGC-24-620481, pending in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, resolved with a $12,500,000 settlement. The named plaintiffs are former Scale AI independent contractors and workers placed by HireArt to work with Scale AI or Smart Ecosystem; the defendants deny the claims and deny any misclassification. Class members are paid automatically — no claim form is required — with a check mailed based on each worker's recorded Class Workweeks and PAGA pay periods. The opt-out deadline, workweek-dispute deadline, and objection deadline are all September 3, 2026, with a final approval hearing scheduled for October 30, 2026.
Worth knowing
A group of related California wage-and-hour actions, McKinney, et al. v. Scale AI, Inc., et al., Case No. CGC-24-620481, pending in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, resolved with a $12,500,000 settlement. The named plaintiffs are former Scale AI independent contractors and workers placed by HireArt to work with Scale AI or Smart Ecosystem; the defendants deny the claims and deny any misclassification. Class members are paid automatically — no claim form is required — with a check mailed based on each worker's recorded Class Workweeks and PAGA pay periods. The opt-out deadline, workweek-dispute deadline, and objection deadline are all September 3, 2026, with a final approval hearing scheduled for October 30, 2026.
File your claim on the official site →Common questions
How much can I get from the McKinney v. Scale AI Contributor Misclassification Settlement?
Automatic payment — share of ~$7.54M net cash fund, pro rata by Class Workweeks (gross $12.5M), plus individual PAGA payment where applicable
What happened in the McKinney v. Scale AI Contributor Misclassification Settlement case?
Former California independent contractors and workers placed by HireArt allege Scale AI and related entities misclassified them as independent contractors or exempt employees, failing to pay minimum wages, overtime, wages due at termination, and to provide meal/rest breaks, reimbursements, and accurate wage statements, plus PAGA penalties.
How do I actually file a claim?
Use the official claim link on this page — it goes directly to the real claims administrator or court-approved site. We never collect claim submissions ourselves and never charge a fee to help you file.
Where does this information come from?
This entry was last verified on September 29, 2026 against its primary source (the official claims administrator, court record, or government page) — linked below. We re-check it, not just copy it once.
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