A former human assets boss at Twitter has accused the corporate of failing to pay roughly $500m (£385m) in severance pay owed to former workers of the corporate.

Courtney McMillian, who was the social media web site’s former “head of complete rewards”, made the declare in a class-action lawsuit.

The grievance says Twitter proprietor Elon Musk knew in regards to the severance plan earlier than he sacked hundreds of workers.

Nevertheless it says he balked on the “expense”.

It’s the newest of a number of lawsuits filed towards the corporate over the mass firings that adopted Mr Musk’s buy of Twitter for $44bn (£34bn) final yr.

The layoffs in the end affected roughly 6,000 folks, in accordance with the lawsuit.

Beneath Twitter’s severance plan, workers had been as a result of obtain a minimal of two months base wage in severance and a money contribution towards medical health insurance, amongst different advantages, in accordance with the grievance filed in federal court docket in San Francisco.

These with extra senior roles, together with Ms McMillian, had been due six months base wage in severance pay, plus one week for every full yr of expertise, it says.

However workers acquired “at most” three months of pay after they had been sacked. That included one month of severance, in addition to two months price of pay to adjust to a US legislation aimed toward offering staff with discover of firings, in accordance with the grievance.

That was a “fraction” of the $500m to which staff had been entitled, it says.

Twitter, which not has a public relations division, didn’t remark.

Mr Musk mentioned in November following a spherical of mass layoffs that workers would obtain three months price of pay, “50% greater than legally required”.

The grievance accused Mr Musk of deceptive staff about whether or not the corporate would honour the plan, main some to stay on the agency for longer than they’d have in any other case.

“Musk initially represented to staff that underneath his management Twitter would proceed to abide by the severance plan,” mentioned Kate Mueting, the lawyer from Sanford Heisler Sharp who’s representing Ms McMillian.

“He apparently made these guarantees realizing that they had been crucial to forestall mass resignations that may have threatened the viability of the merger and the vitality of Twitter itself,” she added.