Elon Musk announces temporarily closure of Twitter offices till November 21; know why

Amid the chaotic situation at Twitter, the microblogging site has announced it was temporarily closing its offices which would be effective from Thursday (local time). The latest order will be effective till next week i.e. November 21. "Please continue to comply with company policy by refraining from discussing confidential company information on social media, with the press or elsewhere," read the official mail, BBC reported. Although the microblogging site did not mention the exact reason for this abrupt move, it was speculated that the major development came hours as Twitter's new boss Elon Musk sent an e-mail to employees-- "either perform or quit". The ultimatum clarified to the employees that they should either work long hours or leave the company with three months’ severance pay.

Earlier today, a tech expert broke the news of the closure of the Twitter office with some sources in the organisation. "Twitter just alerted employees that effective immediately, all office buildings are temporarily closed and badge access is suspended. No details were given as to why," wrote the Managing Editor of Platformer, Zoe Schiffer. "We're hearing this because Elon Musk and his team are terrified employees are going to sabotage the company. Also, they're still trying to figure out which Twitter workers they need to cut access for," he added. Later, when an American internet celebrity, blogger David Portnoy, asked Musk about the latest development and the mass layoffs in Twitter, the new boss said, "The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried."

Musk asks managers to decide on the implementation of WFH

Further, multiple media reports claimed that Musk has softened the earlier ruling wherein he directed the employees to work from the office and disallowed working remotely. However, this time, he left the decision to the respective managers. "Regarding remote work, all that is required for approval is that your manager takes responsibility for ensuring that you are making an excellent contribution. It is also expected that you have in-person meetings with your colleagues on a reasonable cadence, ideally weekly, but not less than once per month," according to The Verge.

Chaotic as well as dramatic takeover

It is worth mentioning the platform witnessed several twists and turns since the very first day when Musk proposed his intention to buy a 100 per cent stake in Twitter. Initially, it was believed that the deal involving the world’s richest man and one of the most influential social media platforms was settled impassively. However, much of the drama played out on Twitter itself, with Musk raising questions about the fake accounts. He often took to Twitter to lament his decision to acquire the platform. Later, hours after his dramatic takeover, he fired top executives of the company and eventually laid off more than 7,500 employees in the next week.

Image: AP