Two years ago, Elon Musk ordered Twitter staff to “click yes” in an email to promise to work in “extremely hardcore” mode or risk losing their jobs. A former senior executive for Twitter, Gary Rooney, who did not click “yes,” recently won a major ruling from Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) stating that he was unfairly terminated for refusing to agree to Musk’s ultimatum. The WRC ordered X to pay Rooney €550,000, deeming Musk’s requirement to click “yes” as unfair and not constituting an act of resignation. Musk had issued the ultimatum in an email titled “A Fork in the Road” to all Twitter employees, setting a 24-hour deadline for them to click a link confirming their commitment or face termination with severance pay. The WRC adjudication officer found Musk’s deadline unreasonable and stated that no employee should be faulted for refusing to give an open-ended assent to such proposals. Rooney’s termination was confirmed to be due to his decision not to click the email link, without knowledge of possible severance or the repercussions of staying with the company. Musk has faced other legal challenges from former employees for similar behavior, including allegations of gender discrimination and safeguarding failures at SpaceX.
