Twitter’s offices in Dublin are set to remain closed until next week.
It comes as hundreds of staff are believed to have rejected Elon Musk’s “extremely hardcore” email ultimatum.
In a mail to all staff earlier this week, the billionaire said employees would be expected to work “long hours at high intensity”.
He gave them 40 hours to agree to the new work culture or resign and accept three months’ severance pay.
In the hours since, hundreds of workers are believed to have resigned.
Am hearing the number of Twitter resignations today is likely over 1,000, though unclear as not all are posting their decision.
Some teams, such as the engineering team that manages Twitter’s core system libraries, are completely gone now. https://t.co/UmPz0rRpvK
— Alex Heath (@alexeheath) November 18, 2022
Speaking this afternoon, the Taoiseach said Twitter will be held to Ireland’s employment laws.
Micheál Martin said what’s happening at the company is "unacceptable".
“I know that the IDA is in constant contact with the company and it is very concerning for the employees in particular,” he said.
“Employees of any company must be treated with respect and dignity. That is what our legal framework governing industrial relations demands.
“It is the most basic requirement in terms of any enterprise - that people are treated with dignity and respect.”
Employment law
He said the government would ensure supports are in place for workers.
“There is a need for coherence and need for a clear roadmap ahead in terms of Twitter so we will work with all employees to see what we can to help and be of assistance,” he said.
“And yes, our laws will apply.”
Employment Lawyer Lisa Bloom is representing many employees at Twitter and said the company is a miserable place to be.
“It does not surprise me that so many people are upset,” she said. “They are angry, they’re reaching out to lawyers like me, they’re filing lawsuits – they are standing up for their rights.”
Resignations
The reported resignations come days after Musk scrapped Twitter’s “work from home forever” policy and told staff they would be expected to report to the office 40 hours a week.
As the resignations rolled in, however, he appeared to soften his stance, last night telling staff they would be approved for remote work if their manager “takes responsibility for ensuring that you are making an excellent contribution”.
Just last week, Twitter fired around 3,700 employees around the world, including hundreds in Ireland.
Last night, the company said it was temporarily closing its office buildings and suspending all badge access.
The offices are due to reopen on Monday.
