Twitter ordered to pay record €550k to senior executive in Ireland

Twitter has been ordered to pay €550,000 to a former senior executive in Ireland, marking a record award by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in an unfair dismissal case. The case involved Gary Rooney, who was deemed to have resigned after failing to respond to an email from Elon Musk, which required employees to agree to new pay and conditions within a day. The WRC ruled that Rooney's failure to click "yes" did not constitute a resignation, as he was available for work and was unjustly prevented from accessing his role. The commission found that the dismissal was unfair, lacking substantial grounds, and criticized the short notice given to employees to respond to the email. Rooney had worked for Twitter for over nine years and was offered a severance package of €22,834 after his employment was terminated in December 2022. The WRC awarded him €550,131, which included compensation for future loss of earnings. This ruling highlights significant implications for employment law in Ireland, particularly regarding the conditions under which an employee can be considered to have resigned.

- Twitter ordered to pay €550,000 for unfair dismissal to former executive Gary Rooney.

- The WRC ruled that failing to respond to an email did not equate to resignation.

- The decision criticized the short notice given to employees for responding to new terms.

- Rooney had worked for Twitter for over nine years before his termination.

- The ruling sets a precedent for employment law regarding resignation and dismissal conditions.