Dozens of Meta employees sue, allege AI use for layoffs affects workers on protected leave

Dozens of Meta employees sue, allege AI use for layoffs affects workers on protected leave

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/meta-layoffs-lawsuit-9.7271307

Publish Date: 2026-07-15 14:30:00

Source Domain: www.cbc.ca

Here are 6 key points from the article:

1. A group of 26 Meta employees has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that it used AI systems to select people for layoffs in a way that disproportionately targeted those on medical, parental, or family leave.

2. Meta announced in May that it would lay off around 10% of its workforce, or about 8,000 employees. The lawsuit claims Meta used various AI-based tools to determine who would be laid off, however these tools did not account for employees on protected leave.

3. The lawsuit argues that Meta’s AI systems could not properly evaluate the work of employees on protected leave, and it did not give a fair, individualized review for those employees as required by law.

4. Many of the employees in the lawsuit had taken leave for pregnancy, childcare or due to a serious health condition and disability. However, the lawsuit claims that Meta discouraged and deterred employees from taking such leave by suggesting it could lead to being laid off.

5. The lawsuit alleges that the layoffs violate several state and federal laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

6. The plaintiffs are asking for a court order to preserve the status quo and keep the employees employed pending arbitration because the lawsuit argues that the harms caused by the layoffs are irreversible, including loss of health coverage, unvested equity, and immigration consequences.