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Twitter fires 5,500 contractors

by on14 November 2022


Humans are disposable 

Twitter fired between 4,400 and 5,500 workers over the weekend by email. The job cuts follow layoffs that culled about half of Twitter’s workforce and slashed 15 percent of its trust and safety team.

Elon [Look at me] Musk fired the workers hired to handle the company's content moderation, real estate, marketing, engineering, and other departments.

Showing his management expertise he forgot to tell managers about the job cuts, apparently expecting them to understand why all the desks were empty this morning by tuning in telepathically.  Some managers did not realise their staff had been terminated until after seeing that their accounts have been deactivated in Twitter’s system.

Twitter explains that the job cuts are part of its “reprioritisation and savings exercise.” It also informs employees their last day is Monday, 14 November, but that they won’t be expected to do anything. 

Following Musk’s takeover, a number of Twitter executives have already resigned or been purged and more are expected to go after he insisted that they all come into the office.

In a transcript of a Q&A session between Musk and employees obtained by The Verge’s Alex Heath, Musk made it clear that workers must return to the office and that only “exceptional people” can work remotely. “Basically, if you can show up in an office and you do not show up at the office, resignation accepted,” Musk said.

Twitter didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment the fact that the company no longer has a communications department because Musk fired them might have something to do with that.

While many in the press are saying that Musk should give up his role at Twitter in favour of someone who could run the company better (The UK's Liz Truss has been suggested) others are hoping that he should move his special brand of leadership skills to help companies like Apple, Newscorp, Koch Brothers, Hobby Lobby and Papa John develop in the same way. 

 

Last modified on 14 November 2022
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