CNBC Reports Allegations Against X for Violating Labor Laws
In a recent lawsuit, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has accused X, the company owned by Elon Musk, of violating labor laws by firing an employee who criticized the company. According to CNBC, the complaint was filed on Friday and alleges that X, previously known as Twitter, infringed on the employee’s legal rights.
The incident occurred when Elon Musk, who purchased the company in October, issued a threat to fire workers who chose not to return to in-person office work. Yao Yue, an employee at X, encouraged her colleagues through the company’s Slack channel to let the company fire them instead of quitting. However, she was subsequently terminated for violating an unspecified company policy.
Yue believes that her dismissal was an act of retaliation for her attempt to rally her co-workers against resigning, so they would have stronger legal grounds to challenge the company in the future. The NLRB complaint supports Yue’s claims, stating that X hindered employees from exercising their labor rights.
This is not the first time X has faced legal trouble regarding its treatment of employees. In July, former workers filed a lawsuit against the company for allegedly refusing to pay for arbitration, which a judge had determined they were contractually obligated to use back in January. The judge’s decision also halted a class action lawsuit against X, in which the employees claimed that the company had failed to provide proper notice under federal and California state laws. Notably, X had already started reducing its workforce significantly in November of the previous year.
The allegations brought forth by the NLRB shed light on the ongoing battle between labor rights and corporate policies in the tech industry. As the lawsuit unfolds, it is likely to further examine the balance between exercising legal rights and company regulations within the workplace.