26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave

A group of 26 Meta employees has sued the company, claiming it used artificial intelligence systems to select people for layoffs, disproportionately targeting those on medical, parental or family leave. [KSAT 12]

A federal lawsuit filed in Oakland challenges Meta's decision-making process during its May reduction in workforce, alleging the company relied on automated systems that inherently disadvantaged workers taking medical or family-related absences.

The filing involves 26 Meta employees, each of whom had taken protected leave or sought disability accommodations before learning of their termination. They represent a portion of the approximately 8,000 positions Meta eliminated, representing roughly one-tenth of its total employment base. While the affected workers have received separation notices, they remain on the company's payroll through July 22, when the layoffs are scheduled to take effect.

According to the complaint, Meta employed multiple mechanisms to identify candidates for elimination, including automated activity monitoring, keystroke tracking, productivity dashboards tied to artificial intelligence usage, and algorithmically generated performance evaluations. The lawsuit contends these measurement systems were structurally incapable of recording meaningful output from employees absent due to protected circumstances. The mechanisms functioned without adjustment for workers on approved medical leave or those accommodated for disabilities, the filing states.

The plaintiff group reflects a gender-balanced cross-section of parental and medical leave circumstances. Eight women participated in maternity or pregnancy-related leave; four men took paternal leave; and one woman took time off for family caregiving and bereavement purposes. One male employee disclosed that his supervisor actively discouraged him from pursuing approved medical and disability leave, warning of selection for the upcoming reductions, despite Meta's own healthcare provider having validated the need for such leave.

Meta rejected the allegations in a statement, asserting the claims "lack merit and are not based on facts," noting that human judgment, rather than artificial intelligence systems, drove personnel decisions. The lawsuit alleges violations of multiple protections under state and federal employment law, including provisions governing family and medical absences.