Twitter faces legal battle: Ex-engineer claims age discrimination and severance denial
For the second time this month, Elon Musk's Twitter is embroiled in yet another lawsuit. This recent legal action alleges that the company displayed bias during its layoffs, specifically targeting older workers.
The lawsuit further asserts that Twitter owes a substantial sum of at least USD 500 million in unpaid severance to former employees. The plaintiff behind the lawsuit is a former engineer who once worked at the social media site.
As per a Reuters report, Chris Woodfield, a former senior engineer at Twitter, has filed a lawsuit against the company in the Delaware federal court. While based in Seattle, Woodfield claims that Twitter had informed its employees that they would receive two months' salary and additional payouts in the event of a layoff. However, this promise was not fulfilled, leaving the affected workers without any compensation.
According to the report, the lawsuit claims that Twitter owes its former employees a minimum of USD 500 million in unpaid severance. What sets this lawsuit apart is the allegation that Twitter specifically targeted older workers when carrying out layoffs, an aspect that had not been previously highlighted. In the legal complaint, Woodfield asserts that he was terminated by Twitter due to his status as an "older worker," though his exact age is not disclosed in the filing.
Just last week, Twitter faced yet another lawsuit in California federal court, with the claim that the company owes more than USD 500 million in severance to its ex-employees.
According to a recent CNN report, former employees of Twitter Africa, who were laid off approximately seven months ago under Elon Musk's management, have spoken out, stating that they are still awaiting their severance pay. Furthermore, they disclosed that they had agreed to accept a severance package that was less favorable than what their counterparts in other locations received.
As per the report, the former employees situated in Accra, Ghana, had agreed to Twitter's proposal of receiving three months' worth of severance pay, repatriation costs, and legal expenses back in late May. Nevertheless, despite their acceptance, they have not yet received the agreed-upon compensation, and Twitter has remained silent on the matter, providing no communication or updates regarding the payment.
As revealed by a former Twitter employee in an interview with CNN, the company seemingly 'ghosted' them, implying a lack of communication or response.
According to Carla Olympio, the attorney representing the affected employees, there has been no communication from Twitter or its legal team since May, when the severance settlement was agreed upon. In addition to this, the report highlights that Ghana's Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations is currently 'investigating the claims' made by the employees.