Twitter employees head for the exits after Elon Musk’s ‘extremely hardcore’ work ultimatum

New York
SME Business
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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. Twitter employees began using the salute Emoji on Thursday afternoon to signal their exit. 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% the opposite.”

Meanwhile, an internal Slack channel at the company was filled with employees posting the salute emoji after the 5pm ET deadline, indicating they had chosen not to sign Musk’s pledge and depart the company, employees told SME.

Twitter’s remaining workforce had until 5 p.m. ET Thursday, to make a decision about whether to join the culture Musk has in place at Twitter or if they want to resign. According to an email that he sent staff Wednesday,

A former Twitter executive who recently exited the company described Thursday’s employee exits as a “mass exodus.”

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 SME 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.

SME was informed by two Twitter employees that they would reject Musk’s ultimatum. They cited a hostile work environment. Another Twitter employee told SME 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.”

Source:: Social Media Explorer