Elon Musk's microblogging site X has been ordered to pay compensation to a former employee in an unfair dismissal case. According to Fortune, the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, was ordered to pay over $602,640 (approximately Rs 5 crore) to Gary Rooney, who was fired in December 2022 after Mr Musk's takeover of the company. Mr Rooney held 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 held Mr Rooney had been unfairly dismissed in 2022 and ordered X to pay him a huge amount - the largest sum the agency has ever awarded, per the outlet.
In November 2022, shortly after Mr Musk's takeover of X, the billionaire sent a company-wide email demanding employees commit to working "long hours at high intensity" or receive a big payout. Employees, including Mr Rooney, were given a day to click "yes" on the email to accept the new working conditions.
The Commission heard that X maintained that the employee had resigned voluntarily after he failed to tick a box committing to new unspecified working arrangements in an email from the company's new owner Elon Musk.
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However, the Irish Workplace Relations Commission refused to buy this argument and ruled that not clicking "yes" in response to the email did not constitute an act of resignation. "It is not OK for Mr. Musk, or indeed any large company to treat employees in such a manner in this country or jurisdiction. The record award reflects the seriousness and the gravity of the case," the complainant's solicitor Barry Kenny said, per the outlet.
Meanwhile, this is one of the cases that sprung up since Mr Musk purchased the micro-blogging site. Multiple lawsuits have already alleged that X employees did not receive their promised severance benefits.
Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022 in a $44 billion deal. He laid off almost half the employees shortly after his takeover of the company and sent a hardcore ultimatum to the remaining staff.
