Former Twitter worker Gary Rooney won $600K in an unfair dismissal case after ignoring Elon Musk’s ultimatum email.
In a remarkable legal case, Gary Rooney, a former Twitter employee, has been awarded $600,000 following a lawsuit against the company for unfair dismissal.
The situation arose after Rooney failed to respond to a demanding email sent by Elon Musk when he took over Twitter in 2022.
Elon Musk sends “hard-core” email to employees
After assuming control of the social media platform, Musk sent an email to all staff outlining his expectations.
He described a vision for what he called “Twitter 2.0,” emphasizing the need for employees to work long hours at a high intensity.
Musk included a link in his email that staff had to click if they wished to remain with the company.
Those who did not click the link would receive a severance package equivalent to three months’ pay.
Former Twitter worker terminated for ignoring Elon Musk’s email
Rooney, who held the position of director in Twitter’s European office, saw the email. However, he chose not to click the link.
This decision was interpreted by Twitter’s Human Resources department as a resignation.
Just three days later, Rooney received a notification from HR confirming that his employment had been terminated.
The legal battle following his unfair dismissal
Rooney took his case to Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
He explained that he initially thought Musk’s email was spam, which is why he didn’t open it right away.
After he eventually read the email, he communicated with a colleague about needing time to consider the situation, indicating he had not intended to resign.
The WRC sided with Rooney, determining that Twitter had not given adequate notice regarding the changes and that the interpretation of his lack of response was unreasonable.
They rejected Twitter’s argument that Rooney’s internal messages indicated a desire to leave the company.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found that Twitter’s notice period of 24 hours was unreasonable.
They also ruled that Rooney’s messages to a colleague about needing time did not prove his intent to resign.
Former Twitter worker wins $600K in lawsuit
As a result, Rooney was awarded $607,802 for the period he was out of work and the loss of future pay.
Rooney’s solicitor, Barry Kenny, emphasized the importance of the case, stating:
“I welcome the clear and unambiguous finding that my client did not resign from his employment but was unfairly dismissed.
It is unacceptable for Mr. Musk or any large company to treat employees in such a manner.
The record award reflects the seriousness and gravity of the case.”