Elon Musk could be about to be slapped with another costly lawsuit, as one former SpaceX employee has accused the world's richest man's space technology company of engaging in 'despicable conduct'.
This wouldn't be SpaceX or Elon Musk's first brush with the law, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) suing it for apparently discriminating against refugees during its hiring process, a former employee claiming they were wrongly terminated despite suffering from Crohn's disease, and the bizarre case where Cards Against Humanity sued for allegedly tresspassing on its Texas land.
Now, a former employee is speaking out, and according to The Guardian, they're claiming that understaffing could’ve led to serious injuries that overworked SpaceX employees were 'too fearful to report'.
The outlet explains how former SpaceX supervisor Robert Markert has filed a civil lawsuit that's been moved to Los Angeles federal court. Markert was reportedly fired after working at SpaceX for 14 years, with his supervisor role overseeing 16 technicians who were responsible for retrieving used rockets upon their return to Earth and then fixing them for reuse.
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Markert's filing references 'strong concerns' where he suggested the technical process of his day-to-day job could "easily cause serious injury or death." The suit says his pleas went unheard as SpaceX decided to stick with its 'more economical' approach.
Arguing that SpaceX continued to push forward with a packed launch schedule, Markert says that his staff were forced to work for three weeks in a row without being given a break. The company is also accused of skimping on instructional programs as a way to save money.
The 37-year-old says he voiced his concerns to those above him, but was told, "The schedule comes first."
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It's alleged that when Markert tried to schedule days off for his team, he was "chastised [by] his leadership team." When he called out a supposedly 'crucial' shortage of manpower on the ships that SpaceX uses to retrieve used spacecraft from the ocean, Markert says he was reprimanded the he "needed to bring solutions, not problems."
When asking for training sessions to ensure workers are properly certified, Markert's suit adds that he was told that "there is no time for that and the company would not spend the money on it."
As the outlet reminds us, SpaceX is expected to take more than $15 billion in revenue in 2025, with the company already having four rockets explode in the first half of the year.
The crux of the case states: "[Markert] informed his senior leadership that many of the technicians were being overworked as they were not staffing enough technicians on ships.
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"This resulted in technicians doing multiple duties simultaneously in a high stress and extremely dangerous environment which resulted in injuries that technicians were too fearful to report.
"After voicing concerns to leadership, [Markert] was frequently told he needed to bring solutions, not problems. However, when [Markert] suggested more technicians, he was denied.”
Markert's complaint maintains that he was terminated in part due to his criticism of how SpaceX handled his department.
The filing states that Markert was "well liked by his peers, and consistently received positive performance reviews," however, noted that he "frequently brought up safety and labor concerns."
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Markert was described as a 'lifer' who has lost out on at least $1,219,457 in lost salary and benefits, as well as $1,172,287 in future lost equity. He's seeking compensatory damages, special damages, and general damages that stand at a grand total of $5,966,214, alongside punitive damages that could be determined by a jury.