A class action lawsuit has been filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, by 26 former employees of Meta Platforms. The plaintiffs allege that the company improperly used AI-powered software as a basis for identifying employees with disabilities or those who had taken medical leave during recent large-scale workforce reductions. According to the filing, the lawsuit contends that Meta relied heavily on metrics, including productivity scores and the utilization of various AI tools, to evaluate employee performance.
The plaintiffs argue that this evaluation process systematically disadvantaged workers who had been absent from their duties due to health-related issues. This legal action follows Meta’s earlier announcement that it intended to reduce approximately 10% of its global workforce, equating to roughly 8,000 job positions. The initial phase of these layoffs commenced in May, with subsequent reductions in staffing levels anticipated.
The core of the complaint centers on the methodology the company employed. The plaintiffs assert that by basing layoff decisions on metrics derived from performance data, the company was effectively penalizing employees whose contributions were impacted by health accommodations or necessary medical absences. The lawsuit seeks to challenge the fairness and legality of the performance evaluation systems the company was using during the restructuring process.
The case highlights growing scrutiny regarding the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence in corporate human resource decisions.
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