Twitter former employees announce legal action against World’s richest man Elon Musk

Helen-Sage Lee, a former employee of Twitter stood steadfast in her opinion that the social media company was worth fighting for months while the will-they, won't-they takeover drama between Elon Musk and Twitter carried on.

Lee, with the assistance of Calabasas-based attorney Lisa Bloom, has launched an arbitration lawsuit against Musk, the world's richest man by some accounts — for failing to fulfil financial responsibilities she claims Twitter's newest CEO now has.

It's one of numerous such legal cases simmering in the aftermath of the billionaire's messy and layoff-heavy tech takeover, which has left many exiting Twitter employees seeking money, work, and closure during a sector-wide downturn.

Musk confirmed suspicions of major layoffs in a companywide email sent on Nov. 3, only days after his purchase was completed. Lee was worried that night when coworkers flooded Twitter's online workplace with saluting emojis and blue hearts.

Musk has claimed repeatedly that those he laid off will receive three months of severance pay. However, the terms of his acquisition agreement with Twitter require him to offer a severance compensation "no less favourable" than the one guaranteed by the company's previous leadership, which is the basis for the arbitration suit Lee and Bloom are now pursuing.

Musk laid off nearly half of the firm in early November, giving three months of severance pay to those laid off.

Musk was almost immediately sued by former workers who claimed he violated federal and state labour laws following the layoffs.

“Twitter employees like Lee were told in writing by HR or legal that after the acquisition they would get the same severance benefits that Twitter employees got before the acquisition,” Bloom said. “That is an enforceable promise”

Musk laid off nearly half of the firm in early November, giving three months of severance pay to those laid off.

Musk was almost immediately sued by former workers who claimed he violated federal and state labour laws following the layoffs.