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X, formerly known as Twitter, has settled the severance payments for the staff it laid off at its African headquarters over a year ago, as reported by the agency representing them. The employees, based in Accra, Ghana, were terminated in November 2022, shortly after moving into X’s new office. The company, now under Elon Musk’s leadership, had undergone a global downsizing, leading to the dismissal of over 6,000 employees. The African staff had threatened legal action for the promised redundancy payments.
The exact settlement amount was not disclosed by Agency Seven Seven, the legal representative for the affected employees. The African contingent, numbering fewer than 20, faced challenges, including the disruption of repatriation plans for foreign staff.
Elon Musk, who took control of X in 2022, had mentioned that the company paid severance to laid-off employees. However, the African staff claimed they did not receive the three months’ severance pay promised.
The settlement negotiations reportedly began after the BBC covered the story, and the legal representation expressed satisfaction in securing redundancy settlements and repatriation expenses for the affected staff.
Last year, X faced a lawsuit from ex-employees in California, accusing the company of reneging on promised severance packages totaling at least $500 million. The employees claimed they were initially told about one additional month of paid work, but were immediately locked out of their emails, and further salary payments ceased. The settlement marks a resolution to the protracted battle for compensation faced by the laid-off staff.
