Elon Musk to Face Class Action Suit Over Twitter Layoffs
- Elon Musk’s time as Twitter’s head has not gone as well as many would have expected.
- The Twitter boss has introduced changes to both the company and its service.
- Civil rights lawyers believe Musk’s decision to fire some staff on short notice violates federal and state laws.
Elon Musk’s first week as the new Twitter boss has been a nightmare for some of the company’s employees, as the billionaire is said to have imposed strict work rules and demanded more from the staff. However, aside from some controversial business-related decisions, Musk’s biggest criticism stems from his decision to fire about 50% of Twitter’s employees.
Musk reportedly began a mass layoff on November 4, trimming Twitter’s staff to 7,500. Sources claim that Twitter employees received a mail on Thursday informing them that by 9 a.m. Pacific time Friday, they’ll be notified of their status in the firm. Those who have been fired will be informed via their personal mail, while those who have been retained will be alerted through their work mail.
The message was allegedly the first official communication between Musk’s team and the staff. A part of the mail read,
We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward. We acknowledge this is an incredibly challenging experience to go through, whether or not you are impacted. We are grateful for your contributions to Twitter and for your patience as we move through this process.”
Twitter Sued for Violating Federal Laws
According to a Bloomberg report, some Twitter employees responded to Musk’s decision with a lawsuit. Aggrieved employees were said to have filed a class-action lawsuit against the new boss in San Francisco federal court. The suit accused Twitter of not giving its employees sufficient notice before termination, thereby violating federal and state laws.
The case alluded to the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which forbids large organizations from implementing mass layoffs without at least 60 days’ notice. As a result, the suit has gained the support and interest of some civil rights lawyers, including Lisa Bloom, who claimed Musk’s decision ignored the law.
The class action suit was filed by Shannon Liss-Riordan, who has had a previous legal faceoff against the new Twitter boss. In June this year, Shannon filed a suit against Tesla after the company decided to let go of 10% of its workforce. The case, however, ended in favor of Tesla, and Shannon believes Musk is repeating the same strategy with Twitter.
Twitter is not the only company to have announced a mass layoff of its staff. Others, like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have carried out similar practices.
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