Meta Employees File Lawsuit Over AI-Powered Layoffs
A group of 26 employees from Meta has initiated legal action against the company, claiming that it employed AI technology to determine layoffs, disproportionately affecting workers on medical and family leave, along with those with disabilities.
This lawsuit was submitted on Monday in Oakland, California, and alleges that Meta utilized internal AI systems, monitoring of keystrokes and activities, and performance rankings based on algorithms when deciding on job cuts this year.
The complaint points out that these AI measures “cannot accurately account for employees on protected medical or family leave or who experience lower productivity due to a disability.” It further states that the company neglected to consider these leaves while assessing employee scores, failing to pause the AI system for an independent review as mandated by law.
The plaintiffs are among the 8,000 staff members, representing approximately 10% of Meta’s workforce, who were informed they would face layoffs starting July 22 following an announcement in May regarding the cuts.
Claims of Discrimination
They assert that the company violated several state and federal laws designed to protect workers who are on medical leave, have disabilities, or are pregnant. These include the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and others related to pregnancy discrimination.
The lawsuit also states that Meta’s AI systems have failed discrimination tests, thus breaching recently instituted regulations in California and New York City.
Plaintiffs from states like California and New York are urging the court to issue a preliminary ruling to halt Meta’s layoffs while their claims are reviewed privately through arbitration.
They contend that while Meta’s agreement forces employees to resolve workplace conflicts individually, this does not encompass requests for immediate relief.
The plaintiffs maintain that their legal action is simply aimed at maintaining the current situation and protecting their employment status while arbitration is underway.
“If the terminations proceed, the impact on the plaintiffs cannot be rectified through financial compensation alone,” the complaint asserts, highlighting the loss of health insurance during critical periods like pregnancy and recovery.
In response, Meta has firmly denied these allegations, stating that AI technology does not influence its decisions regarding workforce reductions. A company spokesperson emphasized, “These claims lack foundation and are not factual. All management and organizational choices involve human input, not AI.”
Ongoing Impacts of Layoffs
Nearly half of the plaintiffs took leave for nursing or pregnancy-related matters. Of them, eight women were on maternity leave, while four men took parental leave, and one woman was on bereavement leave to support a family member.
The employees contend that Meta’s selection process, which involves algorithms, unfairly penalizes women, as it tends to categorize absenteeism related to family care or pregnancy as inadequate performance.
