Ex-Meta Workers Sue, Saying Algorithm Flagged Their Medical Leave for Layoffs

Twenty-six former Meta employees have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the company of using an AI-powered system that singled out workers with disabilities or those who took medical leave for termination during mass layoffs. The suit, filed in Oakland, California, federal court, claims Meta relied on automated metrics such as productivity scores and AI token usage when cutting thousands of jobs, according to Insurance Journal and usnews.com.

2 sources

Insurance JournalMeta Used AI to Target Workers With Medical Conditions for Layoffs, Lawsuit Claimsusnews.comMeta Lawsuit Alleges AI Software Unfairly Targeted Disabled Workers and Those on Medical Leave During Layoffs

"The suit claims Meta relied on factors like productivity metrics and AI token usage when cutting thousands of jobs, disadvantaging employees who missed work due to medical conditions or caregiving responsibilities."

Plaintiffs argue that the algorithm effectively transformed sensitive health information into a firing criterion. The layoffs in question affected roughly 8,000 staff, as reported by Superintelligence News.

Superintelligence NewsFormer Meta Employees Sue, Alleging AI Helped Target Workers on Leave in Layoffs

In response, Meta has denied the allegations, maintaining that human judgment, not algorithms, drove its workforce reduction decisions. ShortSingh noted that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has separately acknowledged that company leadership misjudged the timing and scale of the restructuring. The lawsuit now places AI’s role in workplace discrimination back under legal scrutiny, with plaintiffs seeking damages for what they call a systemic violation of disability and medical privacy rights.

ShortSingh26 Former Meta Employees Sue, Claiming AI Targeted Them in Layoffs