Twitter Layoff Shows Economy Slowdown
Elon Musk's Twitter has begun laying off employees across the company, following an internal memo issued on Thursday warning of impending layoffs.
Hundreds of Twitter employees began posting on the platform on Thursday night and into Friday morning that they had been locked out of their company email accounts ahead of the planned layoff notification. Some people also used blue hearts and salute emojis to show they were working at the company.
Twitter employees from departments such as curation, ethical AI, marketing and communication, search, public policy, wellness, and others had tweeted about being let go by Friday morning.
Twitter Layoffs
"I was just remotely logged out of my work laptop and removed from Slack," one Twitter user posted on the platform. "It's a shame it had to end this way."
It is unknown how many Twitter employees have been or will be let go. Prior to Musk's takeover, Twitter employed approximately 7,500 people. According to recent reports, Twitter may lay off 25% to 50% of its workforce as Musk rethinks how the platform operates and attempts to improve the company's bottom line after incurring significant debt to fund his $44 billion acquisition.
The email sent Thursday evening informed employees that they would receive a notice informing them of their employment status by 12 p.m. ET Friday.
Elon Musk Layoff Their Employees
"If your employment is not affected, you will be notified via your Twitter email," according to a copy of the email obtained by CNN. "If your employment is jeopardised, you will be notified via personal email with next steps."
The email also stated that the company's offices "will be temporarily closed and all badge access will be suspended" to "help ensure the safety" of employees and Twitter's systems.
The email concluded by acknowledging that the workforce will face "an incredibly difficult experience."
Several Twitter employees filed a class action lawsuit on Thursday night, alleging that the company is in violation of the federal and California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Acts (WARN Acts) after already laying off some employees.
Prior to a mass layoff "affecting 50 or more employees at a single site of employment," an employer with more than 100 employees must provide 60 days' advance written notice under the WARN Act.