DirecTV worker misclassification $23.15M class action settlement

DirectTV LLC has agreed to pay $23,150,000 as part of a settlement resolving claims the company misclassified workers who installed DIRECTV systems. 

The DIRECTV worker misclassification settlement website explains the class includes “all those current, former, or prospective workers who were assigned a Technician ID number in the Sieble system, and who installed, serviced, and/or repaired DIRECTV systems in the State of California but were not classified by DIRECT or any Home Service Provider as W-2 employees during the covered period,” Oct. 1, 2011, to May 11, 2022.

The class excludes those workers who: 

• Worked through White Communications, but only for the time they were performing the work through White Communications
• Were pursuing legal action against DirecTV in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California as of Aug. 13, 2020

The company allegedly classified them as independent contractors when they should have been classified as employees and should have received benefits entitled to employees.

Of the $23.15 million settlement, around $3.15 million has already been paid to some technicians in the form of $2,250 checks sent as part of the Individual Settlement Program. 

$23.15 million in funds has been allocated to pay for attorney fees and costs, settlement administration, representative plaintiff incentive awards and California Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) civil penalties.

After these costs, class members are eligible to receive benefits from around $11.83 million of the settlement fund. The funds will be distributed in the following manner:

• First, all class members will receive $250 
• Second, all Settlement Group members who did not cash their $2,250 Individual Settlement Checks from DirecTV will be given $2,250
• Third, the remainder of the settlement fund will be allocated on a proportional basis, based on the work performed by class members during the covered period
• Fourth, the Settlement Group Members who performed work during the PAGA covered period (Oct. 20, 2014, and May 11, 2022) will be eligible to receive additional payments from the $150,000 portion of the settlement fund allocated to cover penalties.

DirecTV has not admitted any wrongdoing in response to the worker claims of misclassification, but has agreed to settle the claims in order to avoid the costs and risks of continuing litigation.

Class members are invited to attend a final fairness hearing in the DirecTV worker misclassification class action settlement scheduled for Oct. 6, 2022.

The deadline to opt out of the settlement, submit a dispute or file an objection to the settlement is Aug. 2, 2022. 

No claim form is required in order to benefit from this settlement.

Who’s Eligible

Current, former, or prospective workers who:

• Were assigned a Technician ID number in the Sieble system, and
• Installed, serviced, and/or repaired DIRECTV systems in the State of California but were not classified by DIRECT or any Home Service Provider as W-2 employees between 10/01/2011 – 05/11/2022

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

No proof of purchase applicable

Opt Out Deadline

08/02/2022

Case Name

Jonathan Giannoulis, et al. v. DIRECTV, LLC, Case No. BC596668 in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles

Final Hearing

10/06/2022

Settlement Website

DTVTechSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Settlement Administrator
c/o ILYM Group, Inc

P.O. Box 2031

Tustin, CA 92781
Email: claims@ilymgroup.com

Telephone: (888) 250-6810

Class Counsel

George A Hanson
STUEVE SIEGEL HANSON LLP

J Toji Calabro
CALABRO LAW OFFICE

Bradford B. Lear
LEAR WERTS LLP

Defense Counsel

Raymond W Bertrand
James P De Haan
PAUL HASTINGS LLP