Elon Musk's ‘hardcore’ email leads to huge fine over unfair dismissal

A "hard core" email from Elon Musk to which an employee failed to respond has landed Twitter in hot water, leading to a hefty fine following a closely-watched court battle.

It was a significant victory for Gary Rooney, a nine-year veteran of the company, in his legal battle against the social media platform.

The former Twitter executive was dismissed after failing to respond to Musk's ultimatum following the billionaire's takeover.

Musk acquired the microblogging platform for $44 billion in late 2022, and took it private. Musk's post-acquisition email outlined a vision for a "hardcore" Twitter 2.0 and required employees to explicitly commit to the new direction by clicking a link.

Employees were given a tight deadline to click a link confirming their dedication — or face termination. Because Rooney failed to respond to the ultimatum, he was informed that he had resigned from his position.

Rooney contested this decision. He argued that his lack of response did not equate to resignation. Ireland's Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) agreed, and ruled that Rooney's inaction did not constitute a resignation.

The WRC ordered social media firm X, previously Twitter, to pay a 550,000 euros ($604,565) fine for the “unfair dismissal” of Rooney.

Labour court takes employee's side

The commission's fine slapped on Twitter, now rebranded as X, for the unfair dismissal of Rooney marks the largest sum awarded for such a case heard by the WRC, the Irish Times reported.

The full details of the ruling are set to be released later this month. The case highlights the controversial management style adopted by Musk since taking over Twitter and raises questions about employment rights in the digital age.