Twenty-six anonymous Meta employees sued the company in federal court in Oakland, California, seeking to pause layoffs scheduled to begin on July 22 while they pursue arbitration.

The employees alleged that Meta’s AI-assisted ranking tools discriminated against workers with disabilities, pregnant employees, and those who took medical leave.

The plaintiffs, from six states including California and New York, and Washington, DC, said Meta used tools including Metamate and productivity metrics to rank employees.

According to the lawsuit, factors such as productivity and AI token usage disproportionately harmed workers who missed work for medical reasons or family caregiving, violating federal and state discrimination and retaliation laws.

The case targets a layoff program Meta said would cut 10% of its global workforce, or nearly 8,000 jobs, beginning in May.

Meta said the claims lacked merit and that workforce decisions were made by people, not AI.

The suit appears to be the first challenge to alleged AI use in layoffs at a major US company, distinct from earlier cases over AI use in hiring.

🔗 Source: Reuters