Twenty-six former Meta employees are suing the company for allegedly using AI tools to disproportionately target workers on protected leave during mass layoffs. The lawsuit claims Meta's ranking system failed to exclude employees on parental or medical leave.
The group of former employees filed suit against Meta over claims the company deployed internal AI tools to determine which workers to dismiss, but systematically excluded employees on protected leave from consideration.
According to the lawsuit, Meta used a "constellation" of AI systems to analyze performance data when deciding which staff to cut. However, the tools did not account for employees taking parental leave, medical leave, or other protected absences, resulting in those workers being disproportionately selected for termination.
The case centers on Meta's 2022 and 2023 layoffs, when the company cut roughly 21,000 jobs—about 34% of its workforce. The plaintiffs argue that relying on performance metrics without adjusting for protected leave violated federal and state employment laws.
Legal experts note that employment law typically requires companies to account for protected absences when making workforce decisions. Employees on approved leave cannot legally be penalized for their absence, and using performance data collected during that period without adjustment could constitute discrimination.
Meta has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit. The company previously attributed its layoffs to over-hiring and economic headwinds, stating decisions were made through performance-based evaluations.
The case raises broader questions about AI's role in hiring and firing decisions. As companies increasingly automate workforce management, legal challenges highlight risks when algorithms fail to account for legal protections and human circumstances.
This lawsuit joins other employment-related legal challenges Meta faces. The outcome could influence how technology companies design AI systems for human resources decisions going forward.
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