Tech giant Twitter on Friday began a process to cut 7,500 employees worldwide, with more than half of its 500 employees in Dublin expected to be made redundant. Twitter staff woke up Friday morning to find that their offices had been shut down and access to its IT systems had been cut “to protect the security of our confidential information and user data.” [ More than half of Twitter’s 500 Dublin staff to be axed in ‘random and indiscriminate’ culling ] The company, which was acquired last week by Elon Musk for $44 billion, sent communications to staff’s personal emails threatening to fire them. The statement said it “does not mean that we have made any final decisions in relation to this process or your role”, adding that they will have the opportunity to “express their views” through “employee representatives” who will be elected by staff shortly . Irish employment law requires a company wishing to make collective redundancies to notify the Minister for Business, Trade and Employment 30 days before any redundancies take place. A 30-day consultation period with affected employees is also required. Irish-founded fintech Stripe said on Friday it would enter a 30-day consultation period with Irish staff as part of a process to implement job cuts. [ Dublin Twitter staff ‘should consider resigning’ in solidarity with those laid off, fired employees say ] The company is set to cut 14% of its workforce globally as the global recession continues to hit the tech sector. The group employs 500-600 staff in Dublin, but has not provided a breakdown of the layoffs by specific offices or regions, so it is not yet clear how many of the dual Irish-US company’s Irish workforce will be affected. In a statement to The Irish Times on Saturday, the Department for Business, Trade and Employment said Mr Varadkar, who is the responsible minister in the department, had not been told by Twitter or Stripe about plans to cut staff in Dublin. “The Tánaiste has not received a collective redundancies notice in relation to potential redundancies at Twitter or Stripe,” a spokeswoman said. [ Are Twitter job cuts a sign of trouble ahead for the Irish economy? ] “The Tánaiste expects all employers to comply with their legal obligations under the Employment Protection Act 1977 as amended. “This requires a 30-day consultation with workers and their representatives where collective redundancies are proposed. It also requires the company to notify the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment at least 30 days before the first redundancies. “The Ministry is monitoring these issues as they develop.” A Stripe spokesman said the company was “in a consultation process and will be writing to the Minister in accordance with its legal requirements”. Communication to Twitter staff in Dublin at risk of redundancy, seen by The Irish Times, said they would receive statutory redundancy, plus a “complimentary payment of an extra month’s salary”, plus two weeks’ pay per completed year of service. The company told staff they would have to serve the notice period on gardening leave. [ Want to quit Twitter? As Elon Musk purges his new purchase, here are some alternatives ] Dublin-based employment lawyer Richard Grogan said Twitter staff could appeal to take the company to the Workplace Relations Commission. “Stopping people from accessing offices and systems also opens the door to potential unfair dismissal claims,” he said. “This is very serious. The idea that you can just let people go via email is against Irish employment law. It sends the wrong message, particularly in the media sector, that they can do this and then end up in trouble.” As for whether there is a precedent, Mr Grogan said: “We’ve seen cases where an entire company is told its jobs are at risk, but the selection process takes place after the process, not before. “I’ve never seen a situation where a company has emailed some staff saying they’re redundant and others that they’re not at the beginning of a process.”
