Today, thousands of Twitter employees from across various parts of the company were informed by new owner and CEO Elon Musk their roles had been made redundant.
On Friday many of the employees affected by the decision to streamline the company and help it return to profitability – following the completion of Musk’s protracted $44 billion purchase last month – woke to find they’d lost access to their workstations.
Large swathes of the workforce were left ‘in limbo’ awaiting emails that would confirm their fate, on Friday morning. It has since emerged that entire teams, such as the human rights team, the accessibility experience team, and a division called Machine learning ethics, transparency and accountability (META) have been axed (via TechCrunch). More details are still emerging in this fast moving story, already being dubbed ‘Bloody Friday’.
A copy of the blunt and impersonal memo, sent to those staff laid off by the company, has now been obtained (via Business Insider). It informs the recipient that Friday is their final day at the company, although they will be paid until February 2 2023. Others received a different memo informing them their role is being retained.
The ‘you’re fired’ memo is signed “Thank you. Twitter” and not by the CEO personally.
You can see the memo below:
Hello,
As shared earlier today, Twitter is conducting a workforce reduction to help improve the health of the company. These decisions are never easy and it is with regret that we write to inform you that your role at Twitter has been impacted.
Today is your last working day at the company, however, you will remain employed by Twitter and will receive compensation and benefits through your separation date of February 2, 2023.
During this time, you will be on a Non-Working Notice period and your access to Twitter systems will be deactivated. While you are not expected to work during the Non-Working Notice period, you are still required to comply with all company policies, including the Employee Playbook and Code of Conduct.
Within a week, you will receive details of your severance offer, financial resources extending beyond your Non-Working Notice period. At that time you will also receive a Separation Agreement and Release of Claims and other offboarding information, such as how to return your Twitter materials (computer, badge, etc.).
Attached is an FAQ which aims to address a number of questions you may have. If your questions are not answered in the FAQ, you can reach out via [redacted]@twitter.com.
We remain grateful for all that you have done for Twitter throughout your tenure and wish you only the best in your next chapter.
Thank you.
What do you make of the chaotic first weeks of Twitter under Elon Musk’s rule? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
