Twitter employees in Singapore were reportedly escorted out of their office by landlords on Wednesday, due to non-payment of rent by the company. The 22,000-square-foot office at the CapitaGreen building had served as Twitter’s Asia-Pacific headquarters since 2015. Twitter CEO Elon Musk has been criticized for his cost-saving strategies at the company, including refusing to pay rent and laying off janitors. The Singapore office employees have been instructed to work remotely, and have been reclassified as remote employees in Twitter’s internal system.
According to Bloomberg, Twitter employees were told to leave the office before 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The Platformer newsletter reported that Twitter workers were walked out by the building’s landlords because the company had not paid rent, a practice Musk has also been employing in leased offices in San Francisco and Seattle. Insider reported that Musk paid the overdue rent late Wednesday Pacific Time and that employees were told to return to the office.
This is not the first time that Musk’s cost-saving strategies have caused controversy at Twitter. He has also laid off the company’s janitors, forcing employees to bring their own toilet paper to Twitter’s offices, and closed one of its data centers in Sacramento. According to the New York Times, Musk has instructed Twitter employees to pause payments to contractors and vendors to try to decrease the outstanding bills.
Earlier this month, the billionaire also took an axe to the benefits offered to Twitter employees, cutting commuter benefits, family planning benefits, and meal stipends. Coffee and snacks were deemed important enough to stay, for now.
This kind of cost-saving measures have been criticized by many, as it can negatively impact employee morale and lead to high turnover rates. In addition, non-payment of rent can result in legal action against the company, which can lead to further financial repercussions.
Twitter has also struggled with its public image in recent years, and this incident may further damage the company’s reputation. It’s important for companies to be transparent and communicate effectively with their employees about any changes or challenges that the company may be facing.
Twitter’s Singapore office employees have been reclassified as remote employees in Twitter’s internal system until further notice, meaning that the company is likely to continue with the remote work model for the foreseeable future. With the current state of the global pandemic, many companies have adopted remote work as a way to continue operations while keeping their employees safe.
Twitter’s CEO Elon Musk has been making headlines for his controversial statements, and this incident is no different. This is not the first time that Musk’s cost-saving strategies have caused controversy at Twitter. His approach has been heavily criticized, and it’s important for companies to consider the impact of their actions on their employees, customers, and stakeholders.
