Filing alleges revised Schedule A after signing and conflicting revocation terms
Pfizer’s RIF and severance practices face scrutiny in a Dec. 8 New Jersey filing by a former physician challenging OWBPA disclosures and retaliation.
A newly filed case in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey focuses on reductions-in-force, severance agreements and age-bias safeguards. The filing, dated December 8, 2025, comes from former Pfizer physician Alejandra Nieto, M.D., who alleges nearly a decade of escalating retaliation after raising internal concerns about patient safety, scientific and data integrity, and regulatory compliance.
For HR leaders, the core of the case is the company’s 2023 reduction-in-force and the disclosures attached to the severance agreement. According to the filing, Pfizer informed Nieto in late 2023 that her longstanding remote role would shift to in-person work. Within weeks, she was told her position was eliminated in a RIF. She alleges the company declined to share its ranking criteria, scores, comparators or methodology and did not consider her for other roles despite her background.
The most consequential allegation centers on the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, which sets conditions for waiving age-discrimination claims in group layoffs. Nieto says she signed a Separation Agreement on February 12, 2024 after being told the required disclosures—including a Schedule A listing the decisional unit, job titles, and ages of...
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