Elon Musk’s microblogging site X has been ordered to pay compensation to a former employee over unfair dismissal. LuckThe social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, was ordered to pay more than $602,640 (roughly Rs. 5 crores) to Gary Rooney, who was fired following the company’s acquisition by Mr Musk in December 2022. Mr Rooney was in a senior procurement role at the time of his dismissal. He had been employed by X since September 2013.
On Tuesday, Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission deemed that Mr. Rooney had been unfairly dismissed in 2022 and ordered X to pay him a huge sum — the largest amount ever awarded by the agency, according to the outlet.
In November 2022, shortly after Mr. Musk acquired X, the billionaire sent a company-wide email demanding employees commit to “working longer hours with higher intensity” or receive a bigger payout. Employees, including Mr. Rooney, were given one day to click “yes” on the email to accept the new working conditions.
The Commission was told that X said the employee had resigned voluntarily after he failed to tick a box indicating commitment to new unspecified working arrangements in an email he received from the company’s new owner, Elon Musk.
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However, the Irish Workplace Relations Commission refused to accept this argument and ruled that not clicking “yes” in response to the email is not considered an act of resignation. According to the outlet, the complainant’s lawyer Barry Kenny said, “It is not okay for Mr Musk, or indeed any major company, to treat employees in this way in this country or jurisdiction. The record award reflects the seriousness and gravity of the matter.”
Meanwhile, this is just one of the cases that have surfaced since Mr Musk bought the micro-blogging site. Several lawsuits have already alleged that X employees did not receive the severance benefits as promised.
Elon Musk acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal in October 2022. Soon after acquiring the company, he fired almost half of the employees and gave a stern warning to the remaining employees.
