Former Twitter Africa employees based in Accra, Ghana have alleged not receiving their seven-month salary from Twitter.
According to CNN, the employees were laid off as part of a global cost-cutting measure after Elon Musk’s acquisition.
CNN reported that several sources disclosed that they have not received the money or any further communication.
“In late May, the former employees accepted Twitter’s offer to pay them three months’ worth of severance, the cost of repatriating foreign staff and legal expenses incurred during negotiations with the company,” CNN noted.
One former Twitter Africa employee told CNN that the company literally ghosted them.
“Although Twitter has eventually settled former staff in other locations, Africa staff have still been left in the lurch despite us eventually agreeing to specific negotiated terms,” the former employee told CNN.
They further said that they reluctantly agreed to the severance package without benefits, even though it was less than what colleagues elsewhere received.
"Twitter was non-responsive until we agreed to the three months because we were all so stressed and exhausted and tired of the uncertainty, reluctant to take on the extra burdens of a court case so we felt we had no choice but to settle,” another former employee told CNN.
CNN added that the former employees spoke on the condition of anonymity because they said they were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of their exit terms.
An attorney representing the former employees Carla Olympio said that the last communication from Twitter or its lawyers was in May, shortly after the settlement was agreed upon.
“CNN reached out to Twitter for comment on the status of the severance package for the former employees in the Ghana office but received an automated response – a poop emoji. It’s unclear whether Twitter still has a media relations department,” CNN noted.
CNN also asked Ghana’s Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations for comment and the spokesperson said they are investigating the claims.
In March, Musk tweeted that Twitter would respond to all press inquiries with the poop emoji. He completed a deal to buy the social media platform in October.
“Whether Ghanaian authorities can compel Twitter to comply with the settlement is uncertain. The former employees and their attorney say the offer was never finalised,” CNN added.
CNN also revealed that some other team members were laid off just four days after the social network opened a physical office in Accra last November.
Some of them said they had moved to Ghana from other African nations and depended on their jobs at Twitter to support their legal status in the country.