Employees appear to be rejecting Musk's vision for "Twitter 2.0."
K. Bell
@karissabe
November 17, 2022
K. Bell
@karissabe
November 17, 2022
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Elon Musk is now facing a new crisis at Twitter as a wave of employees seemed to reject his ultimatum of an “extremely hardcore” Twitter 2.0 or leave the company. Hours after a deadline for workers to check “yes” on a Google form accepting “long hours at high intensity, it seems a large number of employees have rejected Musk’s vision.
Exactly how many employees opted for severance over remaining at Twitter isn’t yet clear. The New York Times reported the number was in the “hundreds,” while other early reports suggest the number could be much higher. The departures come after Musk already cut 50 percent of Twitter’s jobs in mass layoffs.
On Twitter, dozens of Twitter employees who had survived the initial round of layoffs tweeted farewell messages. One employee tweeted a video of a group of workers inside Twitter’s office counting down to the 5pm ET deadline on Musk’s ultimatum. “We’re all about to get fired,” he said.
Elon Musk is now facing a new crisis at Twitter as a wave of employees seemed to reject his ultimatum of an “extremely hardcore” Twitter 2.0 or leave the company. Hours after a deadline for workers to check “yes” on a Google form accepting “long hours at high intensity, it seems a large number of employees have rejected Musk’s vision.
Exactly how many employees opted for severance over remaining at Twitter isn’t yet clear. The New York Times reported the number was in the “hundreds,” while other early reports suggest the number could be much higher. The departures come after Musk already cut 50 percent of Twitter’s jobs in mass layoffs.
On Twitter, dozens of Twitter employees who had survived the initial round of layoffs tweeted farewell messages. One employee tweeted a video of a group of workers inside Twitter’s office counting down to the 5pm ET deadline on Musk’s ultimatum. “We’re all about to get fired,” he said.
Others tweeted messages alluding to Musk’s policies. In his Wednesday morning message, Musk had said that “only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.”
As the deadline approached, Musk reportedly grew concerned about how many remaining employees could leave the company. In a new memo, he appeared to walk back some of his earlier comments banning all remote work, though he still said he would fire managers if remote workers on their teams weren’t performing.
But it seems the concession wasn’t enough for many at Twitter Platformer’s Zoe Schiffer reported Thursday that Musk and his lieutenants were struggling to figure out just how many employees had declined to check the “yes” box on his Google form, and that Twitter would be closing down access to its offices for a few days as an extra precaution.
The departures raise new questions about whether the remaining Twitter engineers will be able to reliably keep the service up and running. Current and former employees are already speculating that the latest exodus could further put Twitter’s ability to function at risk, especially with the start of the World Cup a few days away.
Twitter no longer has communications staff, but Musk so far hasn't publicly commented on the resignations.
With ‘no one left to fix things’ at Elon Musk's Twitter, farewell memes galore
Published on Nov 18, 2022
The No. 1 topic trending in the United States was “RIPTwitter” followed by the names of other social media platforms: “Tumblr,” “Mastodon” and “MySpace."
Reports of exodus at Twitter Inc. have triggered speculations around the future of the company, with many bidding adieu to the micro-blogging platform even as new owner Elon Musk maintained that the site is witnessing “all-time high” usage. Hundreds of Twitter employees are estimated to be leaving the beleaguered social media company following an ultimatum from Musk, who demanded staff sign up for "long hours at high intensity," or lose their jobs.
"If it does break, there is no one left to fix things in many areas," Reuters quoted the person as saying.
The company, meanwhile, reportedly notified employees that it will temporarily shut its offices and cut badge access until Monday.
As the situation looks break at Twitter, social media users have flooded the platform with messages saying farewell to the micro-blogging platform.
“I will miss you all if this is indeed the end,” British-American journalist and broadcaster Mehdi Hasan wrote on Twitter. “It’s easy to be snarky & make references to ‘the hellsite’ (I do!) but I met wonderful people on here, connected with people I’d have never connected with, literally got jobs I wouldn’t have gotten thanks to this site.”
#RIPTwitter was among the top trending hashtags in India with more than 329,000 tweets at the time of writing this.
Here are some of the reactions:
Mass exodus at Twitter after workers reject Elon Musk's 'hardcore' demands
By CNN
Nov 18, 2022
Another employee exodus appears to be underway at Twitter as many workers rejected Elon Musk's terms for staying with the company, choosing instead to depart, according to multiple current and former employees.
As the deadline approached for Twitter employees to respond to Elon Musk's ultimatum to commit to working in an "extremely hardcore" fashion at the company or leave, some employees appeared to publicly indicate they had chosen the latter option.
On Thursday afternoon, Twitter staffers began posting the salute emoji, which has become a signal that someone is exiting the company.
READ MORE: Musk says Twitter employees must commit to 'hardcore' work or leave
One Twitter employee said in a tweet that deciding to join the company was "one of the easiest decisions ever made. Deciding to leave today was 100 per cent the opposite."
Meanwhile, an internal Slack channel at the company was filled with employees posting the salute emoji after the 10am AEDT deadline, indicating they had chosen not to sign Musk's pledge and depart the company, employees told CNN.
Twitter's remaining workforce had until 10am AEDT to decide whether they wanted to be a part of the culture Musk wants to implement at the social media company, or else effectively resign, according to an email he sent to staff Wednesday.
A former Twitter executive who recently exited the company described Thursday's employee exits as a "mass exodus".
READ MORE: Elon Musk ends remote working at Twitter
Two Twitter employees told CNN ahead of the deadline on Thursday that they planned to reject the ultimatum, citing a toxic work environment they say the billionaire has introduced.
Another Twitter employee told CNN Wednesday they were still weighing the decision, saying the email from Musk "felt like a punch in the gut because no matter how you felt about wanting to stay or wanting to go, you were forced to make a decision and feel like you're up against the time clock to make the best decision for you and your family".
The employee added: "Those decisions are more than just 24 hours."
Musk told employees on Wednesday that his goal is to build "Twitter 2.0" and that employees who choose to stay will be required to commit to working "long hours at high intensity" and presumably agreeing to Musk's demand for Twitter employees, who have been largely working remotely, to return to in-office work.
As of midday Thursday, employees still did not have clarity on which remote-work exceptions would be granted if they decide to stay, one employee said.
Later on Thursday, amid an apparent scramble by management to avoid losing too many workers to the ultimatum, Musk sent an email to staff attempting to clarify his position on remote work, according to text of the email obtained by CNN from a Twitter employee who asked not to be identified.
"Regarding remote work, all that is required for approval is that your manager takes responsibility for ensuring that you are making an excellent contribution," Musk said in the email, adding that workers would be expected to attend in-person meetings no less than once a month.
Twenty minutes later, Musk sent a follow-up email saying: "At risk of stating the obvious, any manager who falsely claims that someone reporting to them is doing excellent work or that a given role is essential, whether remote or not, will be exited from the company."
The decision to issue an ultimatum came after Musk earlier this month fired half of Twitter's staff, reducing its workforce to around 3700 employees, and also reportedly cut many of Twitter's contract workers.
He also pushed out its top leadership and dissolved the board of directors.
Musk also recently fired some employees for criticising him in tweets or on internal Slack channels.
"I don't want to stick around to build a product that's being poisoned from the inside and out," said one of the employees who plans to reject the ultimatum, but requested anonymity to avoid putting the severance at risk.
"Everyone has a price to a certain degree and this severance gives me some comfort into looking for a better environment in the time frame despite the economy."
Another Twitter employee, who asked not to be quoted, shared similar concerns and said they planned to also exit the company.
A recently laid-off employee who remains in touch with former coworkers told CNN that everyone they had spoken to plans to reject Musk's ultimatum and exit the company.
"People can't overlook the public mockery and firing of other employees," the former employee told CNN.
"In the same vein, they can't overlook or feel comfortable working for someone who has handled the last few weeks in the way Elon has."
"People don't want to sacrifice their mental health and family lives to make the richest man in the world richer," the former employee added.
READ MORE: Gabby Petito's family awarded millions in wrongful death lawsuit
But the decision may not be so easy for others.
The ultimatum comes during a difficult period for the tech industry, following mass layoffs and hiring freeze announcements at many major firms including Meta, Amazon, Lyft and others.
Employees working in the United States from other countries could also risk losing their work visas if they leave the company.
A fourth employee told CNN they plan to stay at the company "because change is rarely influenced from the outside".
The shake-up likely to come as a result of the ultimatum will be the last element of the "fundamental organisational restructuring" following Musk's takeover, he told a Delaware court Wednesday during a trial over his Tesla pay package.
Musk said in the Wednesday email that the "new Twitter" will be "much more engineering-driven," leaving some non-engineering workers questioning whether their jobs could be at risk even if they opt to stay.
"What's behind this door? You don't know. The only door you know that's certain is the exit door."
Another employee exodus appears to be underway at Twitter as many workers rejected Elon Musk's terms for staying with the company, choosing instead to depart, according to multiple current and former employees.
As the deadline approached for Twitter employees to respond to Elon Musk's ultimatum to commit to working in an "extremely hardcore" fashion at the company or leave, some employees appeared to publicly indicate they had chosen the latter option.
On Thursday afternoon, Twitter staffers began posting the salute emoji, which has become a signal that someone is exiting the company.
READ MORE: Musk says Twitter employees must commit to 'hardcore' work or leave
Twitter employees are resigning en masse from the social media giant. (AP)
One Twitter employee said in a tweet that deciding to join the company was "one of the easiest decisions ever made. Deciding to leave today was 100 per cent the opposite."
Meanwhile, an internal Slack channel at the company was filled with employees posting the salute emoji after the 10am AEDT deadline, indicating they had chosen not to sign Musk's pledge and depart the company, employees told CNN.
Twitter's remaining workforce had until 10am AEDT to decide whether they wanted to be a part of the culture Musk wants to implement at the social media company, or else effectively resign, according to an email he sent to staff Wednesday.
A former Twitter executive who recently exited the company described Thursday's employee exits as a "mass exodus".
READ MORE: Elon Musk ends remote working at Twitter
On Thursday evening following the exits, employees remaining at the company received an email alerting them that the company's offices will be temporarily closed and badge access will be restricted through Monday, according to a copy of the email obtained by CNN from a current Twitter employee.
Musk's team similarly shuttered offices during the mass layoffs earlier this month out of a concern for safety and an apparent fear that exiting employees could attempt to sabotage the company on their way out.
Musk's team similarly shuttered offices during the mass layoffs earlier this month out of a concern for safety and an apparent fear that exiting employees could attempt to sabotage the company on their way out.
Two Twitter employees told CNN ahead of the deadline on Thursday that they planned to reject the ultimatum, citing a toxic work environment they say the billionaire has introduced.
Another Twitter employee told CNN Wednesday they were still weighing the decision, saying the email from Musk "felt like a punch in the gut because no matter how you felt about wanting to stay or wanting to go, you were forced to make a decision and feel like you're up against the time clock to make the best decision for you and your family".
The employee added: "Those decisions are more than just 24 hours."
Musk told employees on Wednesday that his goal is to build "Twitter 2.0" and that employees who choose to stay will be required to commit to working "long hours at high intensity" and presumably agreeing to Musk's demand for Twitter employees, who have been largely working remotely, to return to in-office work.
As of midday Thursday, employees still did not have clarity on which remote-work exceptions would be granted if they decide to stay, one employee said.
Elon Musk testifies in a courtroom in Wilmington, Delaware in an unrelated trial over his Tesla pay. (AP)
Later on Thursday, amid an apparent scramble by management to avoid losing too many workers to the ultimatum, Musk sent an email to staff attempting to clarify his position on remote work, according to text of the email obtained by CNN from a Twitter employee who asked not to be identified.
"Regarding remote work, all that is required for approval is that your manager takes responsibility for ensuring that you are making an excellent contribution," Musk said in the email, adding that workers would be expected to attend in-person meetings no less than once a month.
Twenty minutes later, Musk sent a follow-up email saying: "At risk of stating the obvious, any manager who falsely claims that someone reporting to them is doing excellent work or that a given role is essential, whether remote or not, will be exited from the company."
The decision to issue an ultimatum came after Musk earlier this month fired half of Twitter's staff, reducing its workforce to around 3700 employees, and also reportedly cut many of Twitter's contract workers.
He also pushed out its top leadership and dissolved the board of directors.
Musk also recently fired some employees for criticising him in tweets or on internal Slack channels.
"I don't want to stick around to build a product that's being poisoned from the inside and out," said one of the employees who plans to reject the ultimatum, but requested anonymity to avoid putting the severance at risk.
"Everyone has a price to a certain degree and this severance gives me some comfort into looking for a better environment in the time frame despite the economy."
Elon Musk demands to Twitter employees appears to have led to a mass exodus. (Getty)
That employee said management now appears to have grown concerned about the number of people planning to depart and are "scrambling" to convince talent to stay.
Twitter, which has reportedly eliminated most of its public relations team, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Twitter, which has reportedly eliminated most of its public relations team, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another Twitter employee, who asked not to be quoted, shared similar concerns and said they planned to also exit the company.
A recently laid-off employee who remains in touch with former coworkers told CNN that everyone they had spoken to plans to reject Musk's ultimatum and exit the company.
"People can't overlook the public mockery and firing of other employees," the former employee told CNN.
"In the same vein, they can't overlook or feel comfortable working for someone who has handled the last few weeks in the way Elon has."
"People don't want to sacrifice their mental health and family lives to make the richest man in the world richer," the former employee added.
READ MORE: Gabby Petito's family awarded millions in wrongful death lawsuit
But the decision may not be so easy for others.
The ultimatum comes during a difficult period for the tech industry, following mass layoffs and hiring freeze announcements at many major firms including Meta, Amazon, Lyft and others.
Employees working in the United States from other countries could also risk losing their work visas if they leave the company.
A fourth employee told CNN they plan to stay at the company "because change is rarely influenced from the outside".
The shake-up likely to come as a result of the ultimatum will be the last element of the "fundamental organisational restructuring" following Musk's takeover, he told a Delaware court Wednesday during a trial over his Tesla pay package.
Musk said in the Wednesday email that the "new Twitter" will be "much more engineering-driven," leaving some non-engineering workers questioning whether their jobs could be at risk even if they opt to stay.
"There's no assurance in this, you're just like, 'I might be able to advocate for myself, I might not,'" the employee who expressed uncertainty about the decision said.
"What's behind this door? You don't know. The only door you know that's certain is the exit door."
Twitter staff quit after Musk ultimatum
Numerous Twitter employers appear to have opted to walk away from the beleaguered company a day after Elon Musk issued a "hardcore" ultimatum
Numerous Twitter employers appear to have opted to walk away from the beleaguered company a day after Elon Musk issued a "hardcore" ultimatum
. Photo: AAP
AAP Nov 18
Hundreds of Twitter employees are estimated to be leaving the beleaguered social media company following an ultimatum from new owner Elon Musk that staffers sign up for “long hours at high intensity” or leave.
In a poll on the workplace app Blind, which verifies employees through their work email addresses and allows them to share information anonymously, 42 per cent of 180 people chose the answer for “Taking exit option, I’m free!”
A quarter said they had chosen to stay “reluctantly” and only seven per cent of the poll participants said they “clicked yes to stay, I’m hardcore”.
Mr Musk was meeting some top employees to try to convince them to stay, said one current employee and a recently departed employee who is in touch with Twitter colleagues.
While it is unclear how many employees have chosen to stay, the numbers highlight the reluctance of some staffers to remain at a company where Mr Musk has hastened to fire half its employees including top management, and is ruthlessly changing the culture to emphasise long hours and an intense pace.
The company notified employees that it would close its offices and cut badge access until Monday, according to two sources. Security officers had begun kicking employees out of the office on Thursday evening, one source said.
Twitter, which has lost many of its communication team members, did not respond to a request for comment.
In a private chat on Signal with about 50 Twitter staffers, nearly 40 said they had decided to leave, according to the former employee.
And in a private Slack group for Twitter’s current and former employees, about 360 people joined a new channel titled “voluntary lay-off”, said a person with knowledge of the Slack group.
Blue hearts and salute emojis flooded Twitter and its internal chatrooms on Thursday, the second time in two weeks as Twitter employees said their goodbyes.
Early on Wednesday, Mr Musk had emailed Twitter employees, saying: “Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore”.
The email asked staff to click “yes” if they wanted to stick around. Those who did not respond by 5pm EST on Thursday would be considered to have quit and given a severance package, the email said.
Hundreds of Twitter employees are estimated to be leaving the beleaguered social media company following an ultimatum from new owner Elon Musk that staffers sign up for “long hours at high intensity” or leave.
In a poll on the workplace app Blind, which verifies employees through their work email addresses and allows them to share information anonymously, 42 per cent of 180 people chose the answer for “Taking exit option, I’m free!”
A quarter said they had chosen to stay “reluctantly” and only seven per cent of the poll participants said they “clicked yes to stay, I’m hardcore”.
Mr Musk was meeting some top employees to try to convince them to stay, said one current employee and a recently departed employee who is in touch with Twitter colleagues.
While it is unclear how many employees have chosen to stay, the numbers highlight the reluctance of some staffers to remain at a company where Mr Musk has hastened to fire half its employees including top management, and is ruthlessly changing the culture to emphasise long hours and an intense pace.
The company notified employees that it would close its offices and cut badge access until Monday, according to two sources. Security officers had begun kicking employees out of the office on Thursday evening, one source said.
Twitter, which has lost many of its communication team members, did not respond to a request for comment.
In a private chat on Signal with about 50 Twitter staffers, nearly 40 said they had decided to leave, according to the former employee.
And in a private Slack group for Twitter’s current and former employees, about 360 people joined a new channel titled “voluntary lay-off”, said a person with knowledge of the Slack group.
Blue hearts and salute emojis flooded Twitter and its internal chatrooms on Thursday, the second time in two weeks as Twitter employees said their goodbyes.
Early on Wednesday, Mr Musk had emailed Twitter employees, saying: “Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore”.
The email asked staff to click “yes” if they wanted to stick around. Those who did not respond by 5pm EST on Thursday would be considered to have quit and given a severance package, the email said.
Elon Musk has undermined Twitter's integrity : US lawmakers urge antitrust probe
The US lawmakers claimed that Twitter's new Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, has taken alarming steps that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform and have urged a probe.
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi,
The US lawmakers claimed that Twitter's new Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, has taken alarming steps that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform and have urged a probe.
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi,
UPDATED: Nov 18, 2022
An image of Elon Musk is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration. (Photo: Reuters)
By India Today Web Desk: Seven Democratic senators have accused Elon Musk, who is now the owner of Twitter, of disregarding users' rights and have urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to probe his handling of users’ privacy and security. Senators have stated that Musk has 'undermined the integrity and safety of the platform', news agency Reuters reported. The US lawmakers claimed that Twitter's new Chief Executive Officer, has taken alarming steps that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform.
The Democratic lawmakers have called for the consumer protection regulator to 'vigorously oversee' its 2011 consent decree with Twitter. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren have requested that the government consider taking enforcement steps against the business and, as necessary, specific executives.
'ANNOUNCED NEW FEATURES DESPITE WARNINGS'
The lawmakers in their letter to the FTC wrote that ever since Musk took over Twitter several weeks ago, the platform was displaying 'serious, wildful disregard for the safety and security of its users'. US Senators in their letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan wrote, "In recent weeks, Twitter’s new Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, has taken alarming steps that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform, and announced new features despite clear warnings those changes would be abused for fraud, scams, and dangerous impersonation."
Asking the FTC to investigate Musk and other executives' actions, the US lawmakers wrote, "We urge the Commission to vigorously oversee its consent decree with Twitter and to bring enforcement actions against any breached or business practices that are unfair or deceptive, including bringing civil penalties and imposing liability on individual Twitter executives where appropriate."
The letter also pointed out the recent layoffs and resignations that have hit the company since Musk took over Twitter last month. They claimed that Musk has only prioritised increasing profits while disregarding other key aspects of the company.
TRACKING RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, SAYS FTC
The FTC is yet to comment on the matter and it stated that it was 'tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern', the Financial Times said in a report. Notably, after the blockbuster takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk brought a number of significant changes, fired Twitter's previous CEO and other senior leaders and laid off half of its staff.
ALSO READ | Elon Musk is temporary CEO at Twitter, says he wants someone else to run it
There have been worries that the turmoil may cause Twitter to break the terms of a May 2022 settlement with the American regulator, when Twitter agreed to enhance its privacy procedures and put the responsibility on individuals who held specific roles.
An image of Elon Musk is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration. (Photo: Reuters)
By India Today Web Desk: Seven Democratic senators have accused Elon Musk, who is now the owner of Twitter, of disregarding users' rights and have urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to probe his handling of users’ privacy and security. Senators have stated that Musk has 'undermined the integrity and safety of the platform', news agency Reuters reported. The US lawmakers claimed that Twitter's new Chief Executive Officer, has taken alarming steps that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform.
The Democratic lawmakers have called for the consumer protection regulator to 'vigorously oversee' its 2011 consent decree with Twitter. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren have requested that the government consider taking enforcement steps against the business and, as necessary, specific executives.
'ANNOUNCED NEW FEATURES DESPITE WARNINGS'
The lawmakers in their letter to the FTC wrote that ever since Musk took over Twitter several weeks ago, the platform was displaying 'serious, wildful disregard for the safety and security of its users'. US Senators in their letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan wrote, "In recent weeks, Twitter’s new Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, has taken alarming steps that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform, and announced new features despite clear warnings those changes would be abused for fraud, scams, and dangerous impersonation."
Asking the FTC to investigate Musk and other executives' actions, the US lawmakers wrote, "We urge the Commission to vigorously oversee its consent decree with Twitter and to bring enforcement actions against any breached or business practices that are unfair or deceptive, including bringing civil penalties and imposing liability on individual Twitter executives where appropriate."
The letter also pointed out the recent layoffs and resignations that have hit the company since Musk took over Twitter last month. They claimed that Musk has only prioritised increasing profits while disregarding other key aspects of the company.
TRACKING RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, SAYS FTC
The FTC is yet to comment on the matter and it stated that it was 'tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern', the Financial Times said in a report. Notably, after the blockbuster takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk brought a number of significant changes, fired Twitter's previous CEO and other senior leaders and laid off half of its staff.
ALSO READ | Elon Musk is temporary CEO at Twitter, says he wants someone else to run it
There have been worries that the turmoil may cause Twitter to break the terms of a May 2022 settlement with the American regulator, when Twitter agreed to enhance its privacy procedures and put the responsibility on individuals who held specific roles.
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