Musk wants Twitter employees to come to office; ends work-from-home
What's the story
In Elon Musk's first email to Twitter staff, he reversed the company's permanent work-from-home policy. Musk put an immediate end to remote work and asked employees to return to the office. He also warned them of "difficult times ahead." Since Musk has taken over Twitter, it has undergone several changes, including the $8/month Twitter Blue subscription, which awards subscribers a blue tick.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Twitter employees can kiss their workstations at home goodbye. As expected, Musk wants them in the office, and he wants them for 40 hours every week. Sounds familiar? Well, this is exactly what he did at Tesla after the pandemic. The email is an indication of how impatient Musk is with Twitter's work culture. He wants changes, and he wants them fast.
Remote work
Employees are expected to spend 40 hours/week in the office
In an email reviewed by Bloomberg, Musk rescinded Twitter's policy that allowed employees to work from anywhere. As per the new rules, Twitter employees are expected to be in the office for at least 40 hours/week. The new rules have been implemented with immediate effect. Musk earlier removed 'days of rest,' a monthly company-wide day off introduced during the pandemic, from staff calendars.
Exceptions
Exceptions from the rule will be reviewed by Musk personally
Musk's decision to revoke the remote work policy at Twitter is not surprising. In his first all-hands call with the Twitter staff after he announced his decision to acquire the company, he had mentioned the same. Only those who are physically unable to reach the office will be handed an exception. For exceptions to be granted, Musk has to sign them off personally.
Warning
Musk warned employees about tough times ahead
Musk's email to Twitter employees also contained a warning for the times ahead. About the economic outlook and its impact on a company like Twitter that is dependent on advertising revenue, Musk said there was "no way to sugarcoat this message." "The road ahead is arduous and will require intense work to succeed," he added.
Subscription
Subscriptions must account for half of revenue: Musk
Musk recently changed Twitter's verification process. Anyone can now pay $8 for the blue badge that previously denoted official accounts. In his email, the new CEO said that he wants to see subscriptions account for half of Twitter's revenue. In a separate email to employees, he wrote, "over the next few days, the absolute top priority is finding and suspending any verified bots/trolls/spam."