Twitter employees sue company over mass layoffs

[midian182]

What just happened? Twitter employees impacted by the mass layoffs implemented after Elon Musk's takeover are filing a class action lawsuit against the company. The billionaire plans to reduce Twitter's headcount by half, which would mean around 3,700 people losing their jobs, but staff claim the lack of notice is a violation of federal and California law.

Yesterday brought news that Musk is set to slash Twitter's workforce by 50% in an attempt to reduce operating costs. Bloomberg reports that employees filed a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco federal court on the same day that claims the move violates the US Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

The WARN Act requires companies with 100 or more employees to provide a 60-day notice period to workers before making any layoffs affecting 50 or more people, giving them enough time to find other employment or retrain.

The Washington Post writes that an email was sent to Twitter workers yesterday notifying them of the planned job cuts. They were informed that they would receive an email by 9am Pacific time today with the subject line "Your Role at Twitter." Those keeping their jobs would be notified on their company email, while those losing them would be told via their personal email.

Has it already started? Happy layoff eve! pic.twitter.com/0AcaQjGJvm

— Rumman Chowdhury (@ruchowdh) November 4, 2022

According to Twitter, the layoffs are "unfortunately necessary to ensure the company's success moving forward." The company said its offices will be temporarily closed, and all badge access will be suspended on today "To help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data."

The lawsuit asks the court to issue an order forcing Twitter to obey the WARN Act. It also wants to stop the company from making employees sign documents that could remove their right to litigate.

"We filed this lawsuit tonight in an attempt the make sure that employees are aware that they should not sign away their rights and that they have an avenue for pursuing their rights," Shannon Liss-Riordan, the attorney who filed the complaint, told Bloomberg.

This isn't new ground for Musk. Back in June, Tesla was hit with a lawsuit filed by two former employees over claims that its decision to lay off around 10% of its workforce violated the WARN Act— Liss-Riordan also handled that case. A federal judge ruled in favor of Tesla and forced the workers in that case to pursue their claims in closed-door arbitration.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/96557-twitter-employees-sue-company-over-mass-layoffs.html

 

[nodfor]

The woke crowd was all to happy to see unvacinnated employees fired en masse

Now it isn't so fun, is it?

 

[maxxcool7421]

The woke crowd was all to happy to see unvacinnated employees fired en masse

Now it isn't so fun, is it?

that is really pathetic political bait ..

 

[nnguy2]

The woke crowd was all to happy to see unvacinnated employees fired en masse

Now it isn't so fun, is it?

Woke crowd living rent free in your head.

 

[takaozo]

I'm sorry for the ones fired, but more sorry for the ones not. They will have to live with new owner.
Can't get that picture with Musk and the sink out of my head.

 

[DixieFatline]

that is really pathetic political bait ..

No it isn't. It's the most awesome thing ever.

 

[Beerfloat]

No it isn't. It's the most awesome thing ever.

Yeah, fitting 'woke' into every other sentence no matter the subject matter seems to be really popular right now.

With a certain class of people.

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

Yeah, fitting 'woke' into every other sentence no matter the subject matter seems to be really popular right now.

With a certain class of people.

That's so woke.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

No exception to the WARN act seems to apply... I'll guess this layoff is going to include 2 months severance pay to comply. The closest exception is this, which doesn't apply in a buyout:

A "faltering company" is not required to give notice of a layoff or plant closing when, before the plant closing, it is actively seeking capital or business, which if obtained would avoid or postpone the layoff or closure, and if it reasonably believes that advance notice would hurt its ability to find the capital or business it needs to continue operating

 

[wiyosaya]

No exception to the WARN act seems to apply... I'll guess this layoff is going to include 2 months severance to comply. The closest exception is this, which doesn't apply in a buyout:

But, he's Elon Musk. to the laws. Elon Musk does whatever he wants regardless of the laws. He's the God Emperor of the Earth. Well, God Emperor of Mars anyway.

 

[Last1Standing]

I'm sorry for the ones fired, but more sorry for the ones not. They will have to live with new owner.
Can't get that picture with Musk and the sink out of my head.

Cause = effect!

 

[maxxcool7421]

That's so woke.

It was woke before it was awake, like prewoke... ''the great awokening'' ...

 

[R00sT3R]

The WARN Act requires companies with 100 or more employees to provide a 60-day notice period to workers before making any layoffs affecting 50 or more people, giving them enough time to find other employment or retrain.

Surely Mr.Pothead's expensive hanger on legal types would have informed him of this??

Why would he think he could get away with this?

Oh yes, because he's rich (at least in theory, if you ignore the mountainous piles of debt) and the law applies differently to the rich, especially so in a basket case legal system like America's.

 

[Ohnooze]

Yeah, fitting 'woke' into every other sentence no matter the subject matter seems to be really popular right now.

With a certain class of people.

Not any different than Trump being brought into every single topic by a certain class of people.

 

[passwordistaco]

The story in the last couple of days said something like "employees laid off may receive 60 days compensation". Would that not meet the requirements of the WARN act? Better to pay 60 days salary and benefits than have disgruntled lame ducks sabotaging your company.

I'm sure the legal team is aware of the WARN act. This suit sounds like the kind of tantrum that would be expected from Big Tech employees who overestimate their own importance.

 

[Beerfloat]

No any different than Trump being brought into every single topic by a certain class of people.

Why do you do that?

 

[netman]

Musk is famous to open a can of worms...!

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

The woke crowd was all to happy to see unvacinnated employees fired en masse

Now it isn't so fun, is it?

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[fps4ever]

From what I've read Twitter has way too many employees, including 150+ just to delete/ban conservative, hate, racism posts as fast as they can along with the AI catches. What new CEO wouldn't try to clean up a company bleeding money? Not looking for a useless answer from the hate bigrade.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Think of all the people who lost their jobs after twitter "cancelled" them, all while saying cancel culture wasnt real and these people deserved it anyway.

Not so much fun when the shoes on the other foot is it?

 

[wiyosaya]

Surely Mr.Pothead's expensive hanger on legal types would have informed him of this??

Why would he think he could get away with this?

Oh yes, because he's rich (at least in theory, if you ignore the mountainous piles of debt) and the law applies differently to the rich, especially so in a basket case legal system like America's.

This ^

From what I've read Twitter has way too many employees, including 150+ just to delete/ban conservative, hate, racism posts as fast as they can along with the AI catches. What new CEO wouldn't try to clean up a company bleeding money? Not looking for a useless answer from the hate bigrade.

Rumors don't count.

Think of all the people who lost their jobs after twitter "cancelled" them, all while saying cancel culture wasnt real and these people deserved it anyway.

Not so much fun when the shoes on the other foot is it?

I think Musk is in for a rude awakening. IMO, far too many people give him far too much credit.

 

[wiyosaya]

Musk is famous to open a can of worms...!

He can't help it. He eats worms for lunch.

 

[fps4ever]

This ^

Rumors don't count.

I think Musk is in for a rude awakening. IMO, far too many people give him far too much credit.

Actually nor rumors. He cut it own to 15 employees.

 

[p51d007]

The story in the last couple of days said something like "employees laid off may receive 60 days compensation". Would that not meet the requirements of the WARN act? Better to pay 60 days salary and benefits than have disgruntled lame ducks sabotaging your company.

I'm sure the legal team is aware of the WARN act. This suit sounds like the kind of tantrum that would be expected from Big Tech employees who overestimate their own importance.

Yeah, like actually having to WORK at least 8 hours a day...no wine on the rooftop, no goofy coffee...actually PRODUCING something.

 

[wiyosaya]

Actually nor rumors. He cut it own to 15 employees.

Like I said, I think Musk is in for a rude awakening, although, I wish him the best of luck running the company if he really did cut it down to 15 employees.

If he did, I bet the rest of them will quit unless they are gluttons for punishment.