Elon Musk’s Company, X, Accused of Violating Labor Laws by Firing Employee Who Criticized Return-to-Work Policy
New York, US – In a recent development, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a formal complaint against Elon Musk’s company, X, formerly known as Twitter. The complaint alleges that X broke labor laws by terminating Yao Yue, a principal software engineer, after she criticized the company’s return-to-work policy.
According to the NLRB’s “Region 20” San Francisco branch, Yue was fired shortly after Musk took over as CEO in late October and after she attempted to organize other Twitter workers who were unhappy with the sudden change in work requirements. The NLRB claims that X violated the National Labor Relations Act by dismissing Yue.
CNBC reported that Musk had sent emails to Twitter employees outlining his expectations for their return to the office, stating that any manager who falsely claimed an employee was doing excellent work or that a specific role was essential would be fired from the company, regardless of whether the work was remote or not.
Following Musk’s directive, several workers expressed concern and outrage over the immediate requirement to return to the office. Yue took to social media and urged her colleagues not to resign but instead allow Musk to fire them. She also shared a message in a company Slack channel, advising others to avoid being fired.
Yue’s posts garnered responses from many of her colleagues, according to the legal charge document. Meanwhile, Musk instructed his management team to monitor online posts and Slack conversations to identify individuals who should be terminated, according to the NLRB.
Five days after Yue’s posts, she was fired by X, citing a violation of an unspecified company policy. The NLRB alleges that this action was in retaliation for her attempt to organize her co-workers against resigning, as it could have strengthened their legal position in challenging any separation from the company.
The NLRB claims that X has engaged in interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees in the exercise of labor rights protected by national labor law.
No immediate response was received from X in regard to the allegations, according to a spokesperson.
Yue, in a tweet on November 15, expressed her surprise at being fired but also her relief to be leaving the company after 12 years of service and three weeks of chaos.
The NLRB is seeking to compensate Yue for any financial harm suffered as a result of the termination and is also requesting other appropriate relief to address the alleged unfair labor practices. A hearing on the case is scheduled for January 30 in San Francisco.
It remains to be seen how this complaint will impact Elon Musk’s company and its ongoing operations.
[WATCH: Elon Musk has “cut off the good guys, empowered the bad guys” on X]
(Note: The news article is based on the provided content and is not a factual report.)