Former employees of Twitter Africa in Accra, Ghana, who were laid off after Elon Musk’s acquisition, claim they have been ‘ghosted’ by the company. Despite accepting an offer of three months’ severance pay, repatriation costs, and legal expenses, the employees have not received any communication or the promised money.
The employees, who wish to remain anonymous due to non-disclosure agreements, reluctantly settled for a lower severance package than their colleagues in other regions. They state that Twitter only responded after they agreed to the terms, feeling pressured to avoid a lengthy court case.
The employees’ attorney revealed that Ghana’s ministry of employment and labour relations is investigating the claims, while the employees and their lawyer maintain that the settlement was never finalised. The layoffs occurred shortly after Twitter opened an office in Accra, leaving affected employees in a vulnerable situation. Some of the employees who were laid off had moved from different African countries and depended on their positions at Twitter to sustain their legal status in Ghana.
Twitter and Elon Musk are facing multiple lawsuits from former employees who allege unpaid severance benefits. A proposed class action lawsuit from a former US employee claims that Twitter failed to provide the promised severance benefits during the layoffs.
The employee received three months’ pay instead of the agreed-upon six months plus additional benefits. Twitter’s response to the lawsuit was an automated poop emoji. The former employees and their attorney are exploring legal actions against Twitter in various jurisdictions, including Ghana. The negotiations between Twitter and the African team did not commence until after CNN reported discrepancies in separation terms offered to different regions.
