Meta is under legal scrutiny as a group of its employees has filed a lawsuit alleging that the company employed artificial intelligence systems to determine which workers would be laid off. The employees claim that this method disproportionately targeted those on maternity leave, medical leave, or with disabilities. The lawsuit was submitted in a federal court in California, following a workforce reduction that impacted approximately 8,000 employees earlier this year.
The complainants assert that Meta utilized AI-driven performance evaluations and data on employee activity, including productivity metrics, to decide on the layoffs, bypassing traditional assessments by managers. According to the plaintiffs, these AI systems failed to consider approved leave periods, resulting in lower performance scores for those who had taken family or medical leave or had disability accommodations in place.
Among the affected employees is a scientist who was notified of her termination just two days before her due date. Another plaintiff, an engineer, alleges that his performance rating suffered due to his absence while recovering from an injury. Additionally, a manager on medical leave claims he was laid off shortly after commencing his leave. In response, the employees are seeking a court injunction to temporarily stop the layoffs as the case is heard. They are also demanding reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and benefits, and a thorough audit of Meta’s AI systems.
Meta has refuted these claims, maintaining that human decision-making, rather than artificial intelligence, drives its workforce and organizational choices. This lawsuit emerges amid increasing concerns about the role of AI in employment decisions, with critics cautioning that such automated systems may introduce biases against employees who utilize legally protected leave.