Elon Musk’s X – formerly Twitter – has been accused of illegally firing an employee after she challenged its return-to-office policy.
The complaint, the first filed by the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against X, accuses the company of violating US labor law.
Fired Over A Tweet?
In November 2022, Elon Musk reportedly ordered workers back to the office, saying, “If you can physically make it to an office and you don’t show up, resignation accepted.”
In response, Yao Yue, then an employee at X, tweeted, “Don’t resign; let him fire you.” She also shared the message with colleagues on an internal Slack channel.
Yue worked at Twitter for over 12 years, she explained after Tweeting, “I’m officially fired by Twitter,” last year.
“My old friends, new friends, and strangers, I urge you to move on to the free Internet and protect your emotional well-being from the capricious child king,” she tweeted in December 2022.
“Be brave, and see you on the other side, “Yue continued, directing her followers to an alternative server run by Mastodon, a decentralized social networking platform.
According to the NLRB’s complaint, X terminated Yue’s employment a few days later, violating the National Labor Relations Act.
Did X Violate US Labor Law?
A regional director of the NLRB accused the company of violating the federal law prohibiting punishing employees for communicating and organizing with others about their working conditions.
The complaint, issued on behalf of the agency’s general counsel, said the company “has been interfering with, restraining and coercing employees in the exercise rights granted” under US labor law.
“By firing her in response to trying to help her co-workers, Twitter violated federal labor law,” the employee’s attorney, Shannon Liss-Riordan, said in an interview.
Complaints issued by NLRB regional directors are considered by agency judges, whose rulings can be appealed to labor board members in Washington and federal court.
The agency can change policies and reinstate workers, but it lacks the authority to fine companies with punitive damages or hold executives personally liable for violations.
A spokesperson for X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The NLRB case database shows 17 open cases against Musk’s company, Tesla.
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