Elon Musk is being accused by a lawyer representing many laid-off Twitter staff members of trying ‘fleece” workers over severance compensation.

Susan Walsh/AP Photo
Lawyer fighting Twitter claims that Elon Musk tried “fleece ex-workers” with his offers for severance pay. Twitter had stated they would get two months’ salary, but Musk claimed they would get three. Shannon LissRiordan, a lawyer fighting Twitter, said that they were offered one. She also heard from “hundreds of” ex-employees dissatisfied with the offer.

An attorney representing ex-Twitter employees has accused Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, of trying to “fleece” them with his offers for severance.

Musk was only one week into his control. On November 4, the social media giant laid off thousands more workers. On Saturday, hundreds of workers received their separation contracts. However, they were disappointed by the one-month severance pay that was offered to them in return for not participating in lawsuits against Twitter and refraining from speaking publicly about the company.

Two months after the layoffs, the contracts arrived and left the employees with two options: sign the agreement or join the lawsuit against Musk.

Shannon LissRiordan, a lawyer, stated Monday that she has heard from “hundreds”, of ex-employees unhappy with the offer for severance pay. Liss-Riordan stated that she had submitted 100 additional demands for arbitration Monday morning. Liss-Riordan claims that she has filed approximately 300 arbitration demands relating to Twitter layoffs.

“Now that the employees have received their severance agreements, Elon Musk has proved us right: Twitter is actually trying to shortchange employees” Liss-Riordan stated in a statement that Twitter employees were “promised more” in severance.

This allegation was already detailed in the fourth class-action lawsuit Liss-Riordan, filed in late 2022 against the company on behalf of ex-Twitter employees.

According to the lawsuits, Twitter employees were told repeatedly that if they were fired following Musk’s acquisition of the company their severance benefits and other benefits would be equal or better than those offered previously.

The company attached a Twitter FAQs regarding the acquisition to the lawsuit. It stated that the laid-off employees would receive two months’ salary base, a prorated performance bonus plan compensation at Target, the cash value equity that would have vested in three months, and a cash contribution to healthcare continuation.

Musk had stated previously that employees who leave the company would receive three months of severance. This included the two months of non-working employment workers were paid while they waited for their severance agreement, which was required by some state laws.

Insider’s Kali Hays heard from former workers that they were disappointed at Musk’s offer of severance. One said, “Imagine waiting so much and then getting that.”

Liss-Riordan said that Musk’s decision not to fleece Twitter workers was not only shameful, but also very expensive. Twitter will have to defend these claims, which will prove costly and time-consuming.

Some workers were also affected by Musk’s Twitter “hardcore” ultimatum. Liss-Riordan accused the company of forcing disabled employees to quit because they couldn’t meet new performance standards. In addition, the lawsuits accuse Musk of targeting female workers by laying off them and of laying off employees on parental or medical leaves in violation of federal law.

In October, Musk, the second-richest person in the world, purchased Twitter for $44 Billion. Since then, its workforce has dropped by around three-quarters.

Liss-Riordan stated that he believes he can afford to ensure the employees he hired get what they promised.

Business Insider has the original article.
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By: gdean@insider.com (Grace Dean)
Title: A lawyer representing hundreds of laid-off Twitter staff has accused Elon Musk of trying to ‘fleece’ workers over severance pay
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-twitter-trying-to-fleece-workers-liss-riordan-severance-2023-1
Published Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:25:58 +0000