A lawsuit has been filed by a group of 26 Meta employees alleging that the company utilized artificial intelligence tools to determine layoffs, resulting in a disproportionate impact on individuals on medical, parental, or family leave. Meta had announced plans to lay off 8,000 employees, approximately 10% of its workforce, in May. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, claims that internal AI systems, as well as keystroke and activity-monitoring data, were used to select employees for layoffs.
The lawsuit highlights that certain scores and ratings could not be accrued by employees on protected medical or family leave, leading to their increased vulnerability to layoffs. Meta allegedly did not consider protected leave when evaluating employee scores and failed to conduct the necessary individualized reviews mandated by law. Consequently, employees on protected leave were reportedly more likely to be chosen for layoffs. Despite being informed of their impending layoffs, the 26 employees involved in the lawsuit are still employed by Meta, with separations scheduled to commence on July 22.
Many of the employees affected were on parental leave, pregnancy leave, or medical leave, during which their productivity was naturally reduced. The lawsuit reveals instances where employees were discouraged from taking medical leave, with one individual reportedly not receiving accommodations for their disability. The lawsuit asserts that Meta violated various state and federal laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
In response, Meta issued a statement refuting the claims, stating that decisions regarding workforce management were made by humans, not AI. The plaintiffs’ legal representatives emphasized the need to maintain the current employment status of the workers until arbitration takes place, citing irreversible consequences such as loss of health coverage, forfeited equity, and triggered immigration issues if the separations are finalized.
