X, formerly Twitter, has settled payments with employees it dismissed from its African office over a year ago, according to their representative agency.
The layoffs occurred in November 2022, affecting staff in the Accra, Ghana office. Many had been employed for just a few months before being dismissed. These employees had considered legal action against X for not providing the promised severance packages.
Although X has previously asserted that it has fully compensated former employees, the company has not directly addressed this specific case.
Elon Musk, who acquired X in 2022, initiated a significant reduction of the workforce, dismissing over 6,000 staff globally due to financial losses exceeding $4 million daily. The African team, comprising fewer than 20 members, had recently transitioned to a new Accra office after working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Agency Seven Seven, which represented the laid-off staff, achieved a settlement for redundancy and repatriation costs for the international employees, though the exact compensation amount remains undisclosed.
Twitter fired us then ghosted us – Africa staff
Carla Olympio, representing Agency Seven Seven, shared with the BBC the relief and forward-looking sentiments of the affected staff following the settlement.
Former employees had previously expressed to the BBC the mental and financial strain caused by X’s handling of their termination. They recounted being locked out of work systems immediately after being informed of their termination, despite being promised an additional month of work and pay.
The battle for compensation has been challenging, especially for those who relocated to Ghana from neighboring countries like Nigeria, leaving them and their families stranded.
In an April interview, Musk disclosed that X’s staff count had reduced to 1,500 from nearly 8,000 before his takeover. He stated on Twitter that laid-off employees received three months of severance, a claim contradicted by the Africa-based team.
Negotiations began between X and the dismissed African employees following BBC coverage of their plight. Additionally, X faced a lawsuit in California, where former employees accused it of failing to deliver at least $500 million in severance promises.
