AI-Based Layoffs at Meta Target Workers on Protected Leave

One scientist faced layoffs while on pregnancy leave, highlighting troubling practices within the company.

A manager experienced a demotion after returning from medical leave, only to be laid off weeks into a subsequent medical absence.

An engineer received a lower performance rating due to time off for an injury, which raises concerns about fairness in evaluations.

These incidents are part of a lawsuit filed by 26 current and former Meta employees in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, aiming to address the company’s recent workforce reduction.

The plaintiffs allege that Meta utilized artificial intelligence systems that “disproportionately” targeted employees who had taken or requested protected leave within the last two years, as part of a 10% workforce cut.

According to the lawsuit, “Meta did not compile the termination list using informed decisions from managers familiar with the workforce.” Instead, the company relied on a complex array of internal AI systems to evaluate, rank, and select employees for layoffs.

The AI tools considered factors such as “performance ratings, calibration scores, productivity metrics, AI-generated ratings, and AI-token consumption.” These metrics inherently disadvantage employees on protected medical or family leave, or those whose output is impacted by a disability, the lawsuit claims.

The company allegedly failed to adjust these inputs to account for protected leave, nor did it separate employees who had taken such leave or requested accommodations from the layoff process, as claimed by the workers.

The lawsuit states, “As a result, employees who exercised their rights to protected leaves were unfairly chosen for layoffs, based on assessments that did not consider their legal entitlements but instead penalized them for taking leave.”

These actions potentially violate multiple laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, according to the plaintiffs.

A spokesperson for Meta responded by stating that the allegations “lack merit and are not grounded in fact. Workforce management and organizational decisions were and continue to be made by individuals, not AI.”

The plaintiffs are requesting a preliminary injunction to prevent Meta from finalizing their layoffs, as stated in the lawsuit.