- Kyle Chua
#RIPTwitter: Elon Musk’s New Ultimatum Results in Waves of Resignations
Twitter is seemingly on the brink of collapse as the internal crisis between Elon Musk and the company’s staff reaches a new peak.
According to The New York Times, hundreds of staff have since handed in their notices after Musk gave them an ultimatum a couple of days ago that demanded they commit to “extremely hardcore” work or leave the company.
Many reportedly refused to mark “yes” in a Google form that accepted the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s new vision of long working hours, though the exact number of resignations is still unknown. Regardless of the number, the departures can spell a huge problem for the company after its staff was already halved from the mass layoffs earlier this month.
Almost as soon as the news broke, the hashtags #RIPTwitter and #TwitterDown started trending on Twitter, with users fearing the microblogging site won’t survive long without key staff. Among those who opted to leave were engineers responsible for fixing bugs and preventing service outages.
Engadget also reports that a number of staff took to Twitter to announce their decision to leave. One staff member, for instance, tweeted a video of himself and his colleagues inside the company’s office counting down the deadline on Musk’s ultimatum.
Concerned about the loyalty of the remaining staff, Twitter announced in an internal message it would close its offices until Monday, 21 November. The company did not give a reason for the move, simply asking staff to comply with policy and refrain from sharing confidential information on social media or to the press.
Musk, likely out of the same concern, backtracked on his previous comments about banning remote work entirely. "Regarding remote work, all that is required for approval is that your manager takes responsibility for ensuring that you are making an excellent contribution," wrote the billionaire in an internal memo prior to the ultimatum deadline. He also recommended teams meet at least once a month and warned managers that their jobs were on the line if those under them fall short of expectations.
Twitter, which no longer has a communications team, did not respond to the media's request for comment. But Musk in response to one user's question about the state of Twitter after the so-called "mass exodus" replied, "The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried".
Hundreds of Twitter's staff have reportedly resigned after the site's new owner, Elon Musk, gave them an ultimatum that demanded they commit to “extremely hardcore” work or leave the company.
Among those who opted to leave were engineers responsible for fixing bugs and preventing service outages, which left many Twitters users fearing for the site's future.
Twitter also announced in an internal message that it would be closing its offices until Monday, 21 November, though the reason for it wasn't disclosed.
Musk in response to one user's question about the state of Twitter after the so-called "mass exodus" replied, "The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried".