An email sent to Twitter HR staff on Saturday said they had until 9 a.m. Tuesday to nominate any current employees. Staff can nominate themselves. The social media company began sweeping staff cuts around the world on Friday, with suggestions that up to half of its more than 7,500 staff could be let go. UK workers have been informed that the company plans to inform and consult with employee representatives before potential redundancies, as required by employment law. The news comes after Elon Musk, the company’s new owner, said he had “no choice” but to cut 50% of Twitter’s staff. Musk said the company he bought for $44bn (£39bn) at the end of October was currently losing around $4m (£3.5m) a day. The first Twitter layoffs were announced a day after Musk bought the company, with former CEO Parag Agrawal among those on notice. Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey issued an apology Saturday afternoon, tweeting: “I am grateful and love everyone who has ever worked at Twitter. I don’t expect it to be mutual right now… or ever… and I understand. “People on Twitter past and present are strong and resilient. They will always find a way no matter how difficult the moment. I understand that many are angry with me. I am responsible for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the size of the company too quickly. I apologize for that.” People on Twitter past and present are strong and resilient. They will always find a way no matter how difficult the moment. I understand that many are angry with me. I am responsible for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the size of the company too quickly. I apologize for that. — jack (@jack) November 5, 2022 Trade union Prospect said it now has “dozens” of Twitter UK staff on its books following the announcement. If more than 100 people in the UK are affected by a company’s job cuts, then there must be a 45-day consultation before any redundancies are made, he added. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “Our members tell heartbreaking stories, including fears about how they will be treated on maternity leave, whether their IVF treatment can continue under Twitter’s parenthood policy or how it will affect their visa status them,” the union said. The BBC reported that a senior official said he felt three days was too short a time for people to organize or communicate with each other, especially given that many have lost access to company-wide work platforms such as messaging service Slack and their Twitter email accounts. Seven days was considered a “reasonable” period of time for this to happen, he said, although there is no official rule. Musk first announced he wanted to buy Twitter for $44 billion in April, but it took six months to reach a deal. In July, the tech billionaire said he pulled out of the sale because he hadn’t been given enough information about how many real, active Twitter users there were. Twitter responded by taking Musk to court to honor the sale. The court case then stalled when, in a dramatic reversal, Musk announced he would go ahead with the takeover last month. There is uncertainty about Musk’s plans for the future of the platform. Internet safety groups and activists have raised concerns about his plans to loosen content moderation and reverse permanent Twitter bans given to controversial figures, including former US President Donald Trump. Musk’s suggestion that verified Twitter users should pay $8 a month for their blue ticks has also drawn criticism.
