Laid-off Twitter employees can’t pursue class action, judge rules

Twitter employees class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: A California federal judge ruled that a group of five former Twitter workers who filed a class action lawsuit against Twitter will have to independently arbitrate their claims against the social media company. 
• Why: US District Judge James Donato agreed with Twitter that the former workers signed an agreement that forces them to individually arbitrate claims against the company. The workers argue Twitter did not provide sufficient notice prior to conducting a mass layoff in November after Elon Musk took over the company. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court. 

A group of five former Twitter employees will have to pursue their claims revolving around a mass November layoff through individual arbitration with the company, a federal judge in California ruled. 

US District Judge James Donato granted Twitter’s request to require the five former employees to settle their claims against them through individual arbitration, with the social media company citing agreements the workers signed, CNN Business reports. 

The former workers claimed in a proposed class action lawsuit that Twitter failed to provide its employees with adequate notice prior to conducting a mass layoff in November, following the acquisition of the company by its new owner Elon Musk. 

Twitter laid off around 3,700 employees after Musk finalized his purchase of the social media company for $44 billion, with the Tesla founder defending the dismissals as a way to cut costs, CNN Business reports. 

Judge mulls whether to dismiss Twitter class action 

Judge Donato has not determined whether the class action lawsuit should be dismissed in its entirety, however, while citing three employees who opted out of the arbitration agreement and joined the Twitter class action after it was filed. 

In the meantime, hundreds of laid off Twitter employees filed a demand for arbitration with their former employer, arguing they did not receive the full severance package promised to them prior to Musk taking over the company, CNN Business reports. 

Last month, Judge Donato ordered Twitter to notify the laid-off workers of the pending class action lawsuit, ruling that the company needed to do so before asking the former employees to sign an agreement that would renounce their ability to sue. 

Have you been part of a mass layoff without being provided adequate notice? Let us know in the comments! 

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