The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has taken a significant step in accusing X Corp of illegal retaliation against an employee who opposed Elon Musk’s return-to-office policy. This marks the first formal complaint against the company, filed by the NLRB on Friday. The allegations suggest that X Corp unlawfully retaliated against software engineer Yao Yue when she attempted to organize workers in response to the new policy.
The Background
In November 2022, Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to Twitter employees, requiring them to return to the office. This move prompted Yao Yue to urge her colleagues not to resign but instead to “let him fire you.” Musk had stated, “If you can physically make it to an office and you don’t show up, resignation accepted.”
Five days after Yue’s tweet and a similar post on Slack, she was terminated by X Corp. The NLRB’s complaint, filed by a San Francisco branch, alleges that the company’s actions violated federal labor law. It accused X Corp of “interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees” who were exercising their protected rights, according to CNBC. A hearing on this matter is scheduled for January 30.
A Troubling Pattern
While this marks the first formal complaint against X Corp, it’s not the first time allegations of retaliation against employees have arisen within companies led by Elon Musk. In early 2023, workers at Tesla’s Buffalo, New York facility accused the company of firing them for unionizing. Additionally, in 2022, eight employees at SpaceX filed a complaint with the NLRB, claiming they were terminated for criticizing Musk.
