Twitter hit with €550,000 fine for firing worker over Musk’s email

Twitter has been ordered to pay a record €550,000 (£470,000) to Gary Rooney, a former senior employee at its Dublin office, after being found to have unfairly dismissed him.

As reported by The Guardian, the decision came following Rooney's failure to respond to an email from Elon Musk, who had taken control of the company and rebranded it as X in 2022.

Musk's "Fork in the Road" email, sent shortly after his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, outlined his vision for a high-intensity work environment and required employees to confirm their commitment to the new direction. Rooney, a director of procurement, did not click "yes" on the confirmation link.

Three days after the email, Rooney received a notification from Twitter stating that his failure to respond was deemed as voluntary resignation, effective November 18. Rooney disputed this, asserting he had not resigned and had not seen any separation agreement.

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in Ireland ruled that Twitter's actions constituted unfair dismissal. The record €550,131 award includes €350,131 for lost wages and an estimated €200,000 for future earnings.

Barry Kenny, Rooney's solicitor, criticized Musk's treatment of employees and emphasized the seriousness of the case. Twitter’s press office responded briefly, indicating they were unavailable for further comment.

[Information sourced from The Guardian]