Twitter CEO Elon Musk U-turns on his WFH ban after more staff than expected quit: Fury at billionaire’s ‘extremely hardcore’ vision after demanding they all agree to work ‘long hours at high intensity’ or LEAVE
- Elon Musk’s 5pm ET deadline for all Twitter employees to get ‘hardcore’ and commit to ‘long hours at high intensity’ has arrived
- Twitter CEO demanded all staff get on board with his new vision by clicking on a link in an email or otherwise choose to leave
- More workers than Musk anticipated chose to quit the social media company according to Bloomberg resulting in a U-turn on the billionaire’s WFH ban
- Twitter staff who don’t take the vow will be given three months severance pay and join the 3,700 staff already laid off since he took control
Elon Musk backed down on his work from home ban hours before the deadline for Twitter employees to commit to his ‘extremely hardcore’ vision for the company arrived.
In an email, Musk gave all Twitter staff until 5pm ET on Thursday to either click a link confirming their willingness to work ‘long hours at high intensity’, or leave the company with three months severance pay.
Despite his ‘hardcore’ ultimatum, Musk softened his total ban on remote work in a follow-up email on Thursday, after more workers than he anticipated opted to leave, according to Bloomberg.
‘All that is required for approval is that your manager takes responsibility for ensuring that you are making an excellent contribution,’ he said in the follow up about working from home.
Musk previously said remote work would no longer be allowed and that employees would be expected in the office for at least 40 hours per week.
He had told employees that if ‘you do not show up at the office, resignation accepted,’ according to a transcript of a meeting reported by Verge.
Elon Musk’s deadline for all Twitter employees to commit to his ‘extremely hardcore’ vision for the company has arrived
Musk gave all Twitter staff (seen entering the offices in New York City earlier this month) until 5pm ET on Thursday to either click a link confirming their willingness to work ‘long hours at high intensity’, or leave the company
It comes just weeks after Musk laid off some 3,700 Twitter employees, or half the company’s workforce, amid sweeping changes seeking profitability for the social media platform.
Musk has criticized Twitter’s spending and work culture, and said that the company needs steep cost cuts and a reboot of its services.
In his email on Wednesday morning, asking employees to affirm his hardcore vision or leave, Musk shared a link to a Google Form with a single option to select: ‘Yes’.
He said anyone who did not fill out the form would be out of the company with three months severance, according to a copy of the memo reported by CNBC.
‘Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore,’ he wrote.
‘This will mean long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade,’ Musk said.
Musk has criticized Twitter’s spending and work culture, and said that the company needs steep cost cuts and a reboot of its services
Musk said Twitter would be ‘much more engineering-driven’ under his leadership, adding that ‘those writing great code will constitute the majority of our team and have the greatest sway.’
‘Whatever decision you make, thank you for your efforts to make Twitter successful,’ he added.
The billionaire CEO of Tesla, who is the world’s richest person, has taken to cost cutting with a vengeance since his Twitter takeover.
Even after mass layoffs that forced it to attempt to offer some employees in critical divisions to return, some staff on Tuesday said they had been fired.
They said they suspected it was due to posting critical comments of the company or Musk on Twitter or its internal message platform.
Musk called himself a ‘free speech absolutist’ when he pursued the Twitter purchase.
One source told Reuters they received a termination email overnight that stated that ‘your recent behavior has violated company policy,’ adding that he believes that over 20 people were fired in the latest round.
Several others tweeted on Tuesday that they had received the same emails.
‘I would like to apologize for firing these geniuses,’ Musk tweeted on Tuesday. ‘Their immense talent will no doubt be of great use elsewhere.’
Elon Musk’s full ‘hardcore’ ultimatum to Twitter employees
From: Elon Musk
To: Team
Subject: A Fork in the Road
Date: Nov. 16, 2022
Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore. This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.
Twitter will also be much more engineering-driven. Design and product management will still be very important and report to me, but those writing great code will constitute the majority of our team and have the greatest sway.
At its heart, Twitter is a software and servers company, so l think this makes sense.
If you are sure that you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below:
[Link redacted]
Anyone who has not done so by 5pm ET tomorrow (Thursday) will receive three months of severance.
Whatever decision you make, thank you for your efforts to make Twitter successful.
Elon
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