(Reuters) – Elon Musk’s X illegally fired an employee in retaliation for her internet posts challenging its return-to-office policy, the U.S. labor board alleged in its first-ever formal complaint against the company, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.
In a filing on Friday, a regional director of the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accused the company — formerly known as Twitter — of violating the federal law that prohibits punishing employees for communicating and organizing with others about their working conditions, the report said.
Bloomberg said the issue began when Musk ordered workers back to the office last November and reportedly said “if you can physically make it to an office and you don’t show up, resignation accepted”.
Employee Yao Yue had responded with a post on Twitter telling fellow workers, “Don’t resign, let him fire you,” a few days after which she was terminated, with her lawyer saying firing her was a violation of federal labor law, the report added.
Musk had completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter last October and began his ownership with brutal efficiency, firing top executives.
X did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
(Reporting by Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
