In a major win for Elon Musk-led Twitter, the social media company secured a ruling that allowed it to force several laid-off workers to terminate their proposed class-action lawsuit over revocation of their employment status. A US district judge ruled that former Twitter employees should pursue their claims via individual arbitration instead of a class-action lawsuit. The same judge, however, had remarked last year that Twitter should have given “a succinct and plainly worded notice” to its employees before terminating them.
Five former Twitter employees were pursuing a proposed class action lawsuit that accused Twitter of failing to give adequate notice before laying them off. Three other ex-Twitter employees joined the lawsuit later. They were laid off, along with thousands of other Twitter employees, after the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk last year.
US district court Judge James Donato granted Twitter’s request to force the five ex-employees to pursue their claims individually. Twitter’s request was granted due to the agreements the employees had signed while joining the company.
However, last year, Donato had remarked that Twitter should have notified the thousands of workers who were laid off after its acquisition by Musk following the now-terminated proposed class action accusing the company of failing to give adequate notice before terminating them.
The judge had said that before asking workers to sign severance agreements waiving their ability to sue the company, Twitter must give them “a succinct and plainly worded notice”.
Twitter laid off roughly 3,700 employees in early November in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, and hundreds more subsequently resigned.
In December last year, Twitter was also accused by dozens of former employees of various legal violations stemming from Musk’s takeover of the company, including targeting women for layoffs and failing to pay promised severance.
Twitter is also facing at least three complaints filed with a United States labor board claiming workers were fired for criticizing the company, attempting to organise a strike, and other conduct protected by federal labor law.
(With inputs from agencies)
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