Former Twitter executive secures compensation for unfair dismissal

(MENAFN) Ireland's Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has issued a £470,000 (550,000 euro) fine against social media firm X, formerly known as Twitter, for the unfair dismissal of a former executive, Gary Rooney. This penalty, announced on Monday, is reported to be the largest ever imposed by the WRC for unfair dismissal, according to an Irish news agency.

Rooney, who had served as a senior executive at Twitter's European headquarters in Ireland, was deemed to have resigned after failing to respond to an email sent by Elon Musk following his acquisition of Twitter at the end of 2022. The email outlined Musk's vision for a "Twitter 2.0" and invited employees to confirm their commitment by clicking "yes" on a link. The email also stated that those who did not click "yes" would receive three months of severance pay.

Despite Rooney's nine-year tenure at Twitter, the company considered him to have resigned in November 2022 due to his non-response. However, the WRC concluded that Rooney's failure to click the link did not equate to a resignation. WRC official Michael MacNamee's decision, as reported by the news agency, ruled that the dismissal was unjust.

The full details of the ruling will be released at the end of August, but the decision highlights significant implications for employment practices, especially concerning how companies handle employee resignations and terminations.

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