Twitter to re-hire wrongly fired employees; Musk acknowledges firing mistakes

After being high on the layoff spree, Twitter is now planning to bring back a portion of the previously laid-off staff members. In an interview, Elon Musk stated that letting go of so many employees wasn’t a wise decision and that he regretted terminating so many employees and acknowledged that the layoffs were mishandled.

Musk admitted that the choice to downsize and lay off certain employees in the previous year was erroneous, emphasising that some individuals should not have been terminated. He justified his decision by stating that the layoffs were a desperate action taken to secure Twitter’s financial stability.

Following a series of significant layoffs led by Musk, Twitter experienced a substantial reduction in its workforce, plummeting from a full staff to just 20 percent. Reports indicate that the company currently employs around 1,500 individuals, a stark decline from its previous count of 7,800 employees. There were also reports suggesting that Musk dismissed workers who opposed or criticised him on Twitter, as well as those who disclosed internal company matters.

During his interview, Musk remarked that challenging circumstances often necessitate drastic actions, stating, “Desperate times call for desperate measures… Unfortunately, if you do it fast, there are some babies who will be thrown out.” 

He further revealed that Twitter intends to rehire certain employees who were previously let go, indicating his intent to rectify his past actions. Additionally, he also shed some light why he was never in favour of working from home. He expressed the belief that working remotely lacks moral correctness and argued that people can achieve better outcomes by working in person, specifically from an office setting.