The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a formal complaint against Elon Musk’s company, formally known as Twitter, alleging that it violated labor laws by firing an employee who criticized the company’s return-to-work policy. The NLRB’s San Francisco branch claimed that the company terminated Yao Yue, a principal software engineer, shortly after Musk took over in late October. According to the NLRB, Yue was fired after attempting to organize other Twitter workers who were unhappy with Musk’s sudden change to the company’s work requirements.

Allegations and Response

reported that Musk sent emails to Twitter employees outlining his expectations, stating that any manager who falsely praised the performance of their subordinates or deemed a certain role essential would be fired. This directive to immediately return to the office sparked concern and outrage among many workers. In response, Yue tweeted, “Don’t resign, let him fire you. You gain literally nothing out of resignation,” and posted a message on a company Slack channel, urging colleagues not to be fired.

According to the legal charge document, Yue’s messages received responses from many of her colleagues. Additionally, Musk instructed his management team to monitor online posts and Slack conversations to identify employees who should be terminated. Yue was fired five days later for allegedly violating an unspecified company policy.

NLRB’s Claims and Compensation

The NLRB alleges that Musk’s company interfered with and coerced employees in exercising their rights protected by labor laws. The NLRB is seeking compensation for Yue’s financial losses as well as other damages resulting from the company’s actions. A hearing on the case is scheduled for January 30 in San Francisco.

Company’s Response

A spokesperson for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Employee’s Reaction

In a tweet on November 15, Yue announced her termination, stating, “After 12 amazing years and 3 weeks of chaos, I’m officially fired by Twitter. Never expected I would have stayed this long, and never expected I would be this relieved to be gone.”