Elon Musk tells Twitter staff to work long hours or leave

Elon Musk has told Twitter unit that they indispensable perpetrate to moving "long hours astatine precocious intensity" oregon other permission the company, according to reports.

In an email to staff, the societal media firm's caller proprietor said workers should hold to the pledge if they privation to stay, the Washington Post reported.

Those who bash not motion up by Thursday volition beryllium fixed 3 months' severance pay, Mr Musk said.

The BBC has contacted Twitter for comment.

In his email to staff, also seen by The Guardian, Mr Musk said that Twitter "will request to beryllium highly hardcore" successful bid to succeed.

"This volition mean moving agelong hours astatine precocious intensity. Only exceptional show volition represent a passing grade," helium said.

Workers were told that they needed to click connected a nexus by 17:00 EST connected Thursday, if they privation to beryllium "part of the caller Twitter".

He added: "Whatever determination you make, convey you for your efforts to marque Twitter successful."

The world's richest antheral has already announced fractional of Twitter's unit are being fto go, aft helium bought the institution successful a $44bn (£38.7bn) deal.

Mr Musk said helium had "no choice" implicit the cuts arsenic the institution was losing $4m (£3.51m) a day. He has blamed "activist groups pressuring advertisers" for a "massive driblet successful revenue".

A big of apical Twitter executives person besides stepped down pursuing his acquisition of the firm.

Last week, the entrepreneur told Twitter unit that distant moving would extremity and "difficult times" laic ahead, according to reports.

In an email to staff, the proprietor of the societal media steadfast said workers would beryllium expected successful the bureau for astatine slightest 40 hours a week, Bloomberg reported.

Mr Musk added that determination was "no mode to sweetener overgarment the message" that the slowing planetary system was going to deed Twitter's advertizing revenues.

But tech capitalist Sarah Kunst said the existent crushed Twitter is facing difficulties is due to the fact that Mr Musk's takeover has saddled the institution with debt.

His behaviour since the takeover has besides led immoderate advertisers to intermission their spending, she said.

"He's present trying to inflict that symptom and uncertainty connected the employees," she said.

She added that determination was a question people implicit however enforceable Mr Musk's email astir hours to unit truly was.

"Can you conscionable nonstop an email to unit who already enactment for you, and conscionable unilaterally alteration their moving contract? That remains to beryllium seen."

Dan Ives, a elder equity expert astatine Wedbush Securities, warned it was further grounds that Twitter's civilization had "dramatically changed" with Mr Musk astatine the helm.

"Elon Musk is not going to beryllium doing candlelight dinners and playing ping pong successful Twitter's cafeteria and this is simply a daze to the system," helium said.

"But helium besides needs to play bully successful the sandbox due to the fact that if cardinal Twitter engineers and developers leave, this volition beryllium a large void successful the Twitter ecosystem," helium warned. "There's a cautious equilibrium up for him, successful this tightrope act."