Former Twitter employees have just won early victories in legal challenges linked to the mass layoffs Elon Musk enacted when he took over the company in 2022 after buying it. More than two years ago when Elon Musk took over Twitter, there was a lot of drama both behind the scenes and publicly. While most members of the free world jubilated, having had enough of Twitter’s censorship and use as a tool for propaganda, those who worked every day to make the platform work were worried. A fork in the road The new owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, was a man who had built his brand around efficiency and who had a reputation for taking decisions and letting the chips fall where they may. Of course, they had reason to worry because when Musk took charge, he asked Twitter employees in an email with the subject line “A Fork in the Road” to either dedicate themselves to an “extremely hardcore” work environment or leave the company. Photo of Elon Musk wielding the chainsaw that Argentine president, Javier Milei gave to him at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Source: Elon Musk (X/Twitter) It’s been some time since then, and four ex-Twitter workers have just prevailed in a recent series of closed-door arbitration proceedings over claims they were illegally denied severance. This win has observers predicting Musk will be visiting courtrooms a lot in the future as the billionaire is using the same formula he used to mold Twitter into an efficient platform in his new capacity as the head of DOGE. The billionaire’s cost-cutting strategies have been thrust into the national spotlight as he takes a similar approach to reduce the federal workforce. One of his latest moves has included sending more than two million federal workers an email with the same gist as his “Fork in the Road” message. It gave those who received it the option to leave but be paid through the end of September, while warning them of an impending downsizing. Musk had the email sent as he took up his new role as key adviser to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump. The argument of the four workers The four former Twitter employees successfully argued that they didn’t respond to the email and did not resign. Still, they were terminated, which entitled them to severance promised by the company before it came under Musk’s management. After Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion and immediately downsized by more than half the staff, former employees responded by filing complaints. The early losses for Musk in arbitration could build pressure for a settlement of similar allegations by individual workers demanding compensation of anywhere from nearly $100,000 to more than $1 million. According to what Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer representing former employees in arbitrations, wrote in a memo, the 20 cases she’s won so far have cost the company at least twice the amount of contested severance pay because the awards have also included interest, arbitration expenses and legal fees. The memo in question came from an unidentified former Twitter employee. In response to a request for comment, Liss-Riordan refused to discuss specifics about severance awards as the company has insisted they remain confidential. She’s reportedly representing more than 2,000 former employees who want their own pound of flesh from Musk. This time around, trade unions and Democrats are at the forefront of the litigation efforts. Is Musk going too far? Even though he is still fighting litigation from what he pulled when he took over Twitter, Musk has used a similar playbook in his DOGE gig with the Trump administration. Not only did he send federal workers the “Fork in the Road” email, Musk followed it up with an ultimatum this past weekend that demanded that they justify their positions in writing or risk dismissal. And if there was any confusion about where Trump stands on the matter, it was cleared up when the president said on Tuesday that workers who did not respond to Musk’s demands could lose their jobs. This has caused some grumbling from the general public even though a majority of them have supported DOGE’s actions and the skeletons they’ve been revealing in the government’s closet. Addressing growing discontent about the brash and aggressive actions of the Musk-led agency, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is out again doing damage control and trying to reassure the public that the end will justify the means. Photo of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on stage at CPAC with Mercedes Schlapp, Former WH Strategic Senior Advisor for President Trump. Source: Karoline Leavitt (X/Twitter) “All of President Trump’s executive actions are lawful, constitutional, and intended to deliver on the promises he made to the American people,” Leavitt said Tuesday. “Partisan elected officials and judicial activists who seek to legally obstruct President Trump’s agenda are defying the will of 77 million Americans who overwhelmingly re-elected President Trump, and their efforts will fail.” Trump has also defended Musk’s actions, highlighting them as a legitimate bid to get rid of fraud and waste in the US government. Meanwhile, those affected by those actions like the employee unions, Democrats in Congress and even some constituents in Republican-leaning districts, have been protesting against them. The recent arbitration decisions that favored the ex-employees indicate there may be legal challenges in the future in response to Musk’s handling of layoffs and severance agreements. Twitter’s former employees talk about Musk Musk’s takeover of Twitter foreshadows what comes next for US government workers, especially those who got the boot. One former senior employee at Twitter, who worked extensively under Musk before leaving the company, told CNN the billionaire’s actions align with his “algorithm that he basically touts as his … keys to success with anything.” “[B]asically, question every requirement, assume that every requirement that anybody ever gives you is dumb. Question it, eliminate it wherever possible,” they said. “I remember him directly saying, ‘If you’re not adding things back in afterwards, then you weren’t cutting hard enough to start with.’” Two former Twitter employees who spoke on the subject asked not to be named so they could speak freely about their time at the company and avoid any potential retaliation from Musk. It reportedly only took Musk hours to fire Twitter’s top executives after taking over. Within days, he had dismissed around 3,500 employees, which was about 50% of the company’s total staff. In the end, he eliminated 80% of Twitter’s workforce, demanded everyone return to the office, and often required employees to work far more than 40 hours a week. Musk’s DOGE is making similar moves throughout government; the United States Agency for International Development is about to shut down; the Office of Personnel Management was directed to prepare to eventually cut as much as 70% of its workforce; and the General Services Administration was told to present proposals to cut 50% of business expenses, according to multiple sources in the know. Photo of American president Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Twitter executive chairman and DOGE head. Source: Elon Musk (X/Twitter) “Elon seems to think that he’s bought the federal government now, and he’s playing out the same series of events” as he did at Twitter, said Liss-Riordan. Federal government workers now have until Thursday to decide whether they wish to remain in their roles and accept the Trump administration’s new demands through Musk, which include being “reliable, loyal, trustworthy,” or to resign and accept a buyout paying them through September. Unfortunately, if they take the deal, there is no guarantee they will get the money because it is unclear if Trump has the authority to guarantee that.