The Labour Court in Ireland set a date to appeal a high profile case between a Twitter (now X), executive and social media platform.
In August 2024 Gary Rooney received more than EU550,000 in compensation in a case of unfair dismissal. This was a record-high award by the Irish Workplace Relations Commission.
In October 2022, he was in a procurement position at X when Elon Musk became the CEO. He famously sent an email to staff telling them that they had to be “extremely tough” and that anyone who wasn’t willing to work “long and intense hours” would not be retained.
Musk told his staff that if they did not click “yes” in the email titled “Fork in the Road”, then those employees would receive three months of severance and be effectively dismissed.
Rooney didn’t click the “yes”, but the tribunal decided that it did not constitute a resignation or a breach.
X has appealed the unfair dismissal and the Labour Court of Dublin will hear the case from 29 July onwards for three full days.
Barry Kenny, Rooney’s lawyer at Kenny Sullivan Solicitors said, “My client wants to put this all behind him.”
The WRC found that X’s treatment towards him as a loyal and long-term employee amounted unfair dismissal. Mr Rooney hopes that the Labour Court confirms this decision.
Mr Rooney hopes that his claim under the Payment of Wages Act, and the loss of income that resulted from the fact that he had been unfairly dismissed, will also be affirmed.
Kenny said that as it is a “de-novo” hearing, the WRC may increase or decrease the amount of compensation. The case will be heard as if for the first time.
“X has informed me that they plan to call at least 3 witnesses.” Some of them, or even all of them, may be giving testimony remotely from the USA. “Mr Rooney is his only witness,” he said.
Musk’s decision to cut thousands of employees was described as chaotic. Employees were told on social media that their offices would close and they would lose access to systems.
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