employees flee from Elon Musk's threats; There is danger in the social network

Send Elon Musk Twitter employees An ultimatum for them to commit to the company’s new “challenging” work environment or leave. More workers refused to sign up than he expected, which could jeopardize Twitter’s operations, according to people familiar with the matter.

Lots of employees decided Accept compensation That has created a cloud of confusion over who should have access to company property. Twitter Its offices are closed through MondayAccording to a note seen by Bloomberg. “Please continue to comply with company policy to refrain from discussing confidential information on social media, the press, or elsewhere,” the memo added.

The billionaire tried, in the last hours before his deadline, Convince people to stay. Key employees were brought into meetings as deadline loomed Thursday night to hear proposals about the social network’s future, according to people familiar with the matter. musk He, who previously said he was staunchly against remote working, also sent out a follow-up email Thursday to soften his tone.

“All that is required to gain approval is for your manager to take responsibility for making sure you make an excellent contribution,” he wrote, adding that employees should meet face-to-face with their colleagues at least once a month.

That wasn’t enough. Twitter’s internal communication channels were filled with employees offering welcome emojis, which have become a symbol of leaving the company. The former employees have also tweeted the salutation publicly, along with their own internal Slack messages.

Some of the departing employees have speculated that many of them are leaving, along with their knowledge of how the product works, and that the social network may have trouble fixing problems or updating systems during its normal operations, according to people familiar with the matter.

People familiar with the matter previously said that Twitter’s future is also complicated by a potential national security review of the Musk deal by the US government.

Musk had asked employees on Wednesday to formally state whether they are willing to continue working for the company, a commitment that would include “Work long hours at high intensityEmployees had until 5 p.m. ET Thursday to fill out a Google form.

The form included one possible answer: “Yes.” Anyone who did not accept the form by the deadline was told they would be out of the company with a three-month termination.

Musk’s warning came less than two weeks after he laid off 50 percent of Twitter’s workforce, or roughly 3,700 employees. Several Twitter workers consulted lawyers this week to decide what to do. The form included almost no details about severance packages, and it was not immediately clear whether employees would receive them legal protection That would allow them to continue granting shares or maintain insurance coverage.

Musk has brought back leaders who left, either as part of his layoffs or through his resignation, one person said, to persuade others to stay. The returning leader is Ella Irwinwho will handle staff management at Trust and Safety, according to a person familiar with the matter, who declined to be named to discuss the non-public changes.

Businessman sent a Follow up on email about working remotelyAccording to a screenshot seen by Bloomberg. “Any manager who falsely claims that someone they report to is doing an excellent job or that a specific role is essential, remote or not, will be fired from the company.”