Twitter began massive layoffs on Thursday evening, according to an internal email obtained by Reuters.
“In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday,” the email read, according to the news agency. The layoffs, which are expected to affect 50% of employees, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
The email also stated that employees will know by 9 a.m. Pacific on Friday if they’re among those let go. The letter, which was later leaked, said that employees will receive an email at the private address if they’ve been terminated, and at their work address if they remain employed.
At least one Twitter employee, Rumman Chowdhury, said Thursday night that she has already been locked out of there her work email, likely confirming she has been laid off.
Twitter said in the email that its offices will be temporarily closed and all badge access will be suspended in order “to help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data.”
Bloomberg reported that as many as 3,700 jobs could be cut, and employees who survive this large cut will be asked to return to the office.
Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion on Oct. 27, after months spent trying to wiggle out of the agreement. He was essentially forced to honor that deal to avoid a lawsuit, and as one of his first acts he fired four of the top executives at the social media platform, including the one who permanently banned former president Donald Trump.
Bloomberg sources say that laid off employees might receive 60 days severance pay. However, when musk first those senior executives he did so “for cause,” which appears to be an attempt to avoid honoring a golden parachute he agreed to in the acquisition deal. Given that, it’s possible quite a few ex-Twitter employees will learn they’ve somehow violated company policies when they check their email.
While the reversal of former bans from Twitter has undergone speculation, the reverse has taken place as well with celebrities, creators and many other personalities voluntarily exiting the platform, such as Shonda Rhimes, Ken Olin, Sara Bareilles and Alex Winter, to name a few.
Musk himself has made all sorts of claims of goals for the social media outlet’s future, like forming a content moderation council and making changes to the “blue check” verification process like establishing a paid subscription plan for the historically free app.
He has also posted some vague, but pointed Tweets since taking over, like one in response to Hillary Clinton’s outcry for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, who was attacked last week, as well as a photo of a sweatshirt sold by AOC.
