SpaceX employees say they were fired for criticizing Elon Musk in open letter

The National Labor Relations Board has been contacted by former employees of the company who claim they were retaliated against for writing a letter critical of the company's CEO.

The open letter condemning Musk's online behavior was drafted by eight former employees who were fired in June. The joke was about a report that Musk paid a flight attendant who accused him of sexual harassment a $250,000 settlement.

The letter states that Elon's behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for the people.

The New York Times reported that after the letter was written, a group of 20 employees met with a top executive at the company and were told that the letter was a distraction and that they should stop writing it. They claim that nine employees were fired for challenging Musk.

Employees argued in the letter that the company wasn't living up to its own "no asshole" policy and asked that the company condemn the behavior of its CEO.

Musk retaliated against employees who criticized him at another company. The New York Times reported that Musk had ordered subordinates to comb through internal communications to find out who was behind the criticism.

The National Labor Relations Board protects employees from being retaliated against for seeking better working conditions. In March 2021, the National Labor Relations Board upheld a decision that found that the company had engaged in unfair labor practices for firing a worker for trying to unionize and for Musk's anti-union message.

Employees were required to sign a confidentiality agreement in response to leaks. The non-disclosure agreement made it illegal for employees to speak with the media.

Requests for comment were not responded to by the company.

In June, employees of the company wrote a letter asking the company to keep its zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment in place. Musk made light of the allegations against him in a letter, but some employees of the company have spoken out about a culture of sexism and rampant harassment. The company where Kosak started as an intern ignored her complaints of harassment. Female interns said they faced unwanted advances from men in more senior positions.

The June open letter stated that recent events are not isolated. They are an example of a wider culture that doesn't serve many of the people who make up the team that makes the rocket work.