In an effort to cut costs, Elon Musk, Twitter‘s new CEO, announced plans to eliminate positions at the microblogging platform.
In the wee hours of November 4, 2022, Twitter employees found that their work laptops wouldn’t turn on, they couldn’t access their work tools, and their emails had been blocked. According to a source, several of Twitter’s 20-person African team have been laid off; another source speculates that the number may even reach half.
These layoffs, which may affect more than 3,700 workers, were brought on by Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter on October 27.
The email reads,
“In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce.”
“We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward.”
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How The Twitter in Africa Reacted
Bernard Kafiu Sokpe, popularly known as Mistameister, a Senior Partnership Officer at the Twitter Africa office, tweeted from Accra, Ghana, “It’s been a year working at a place I never imagined I’ll ever get to work. I’m glad that I could represent for Africa & I didn’t let us down. My best career experience by far & it was beautiful whilst it lasted. Much love to all the amazing tweets that made it worth it.”
Employees at Twitter’s Africa branch who received the Friday email through their personal email accounts are still unsure of their employment status because the letters claim they are suspended. Part of the email states, “For the avoidance of doubt, this suspension does not mean your employment has been terminated.” One worker criticised Elon for “coming for our jobs like the second coming of Jesus. In our sleep and like a thief in the night.”
These layoffs also raised questions concerning the necessity of internet companies’ African headquarters. Additionally, it jeopardises Twitter’s capacity to continue serving as a platform for millions of Africans, who are already looking forward to the bugs and repairs Musk’s rule will bring.
However, on November 3, 3022, former Twitter workers filed a class action lawsuit against the company, alleging that the company violated US employment law by giving the mass layoffs such little notice. Large corporations are required to provide 60 days’ notice before beginning mass layoffs under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of the United States.
Initial Events That Preceded This Layoff of the African Twitter Team
According to reports in Ghana, the content moderation team staff are already among those impacted as internal sources predict additional layoffs. In April 2021, the Ghana office officially opened as the organization’s regional headquarters for Africa.
Even though the microblogging platform reached an agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria last year, several outlets have predicted that the firm’s ongoing layoffs may impact Twitter’s ambitions to create an office in Nigeria.
A firm representative said in September that there were no plans for the company to open an office in Nigeria.
Two months after putting a hiring block in place due to an Elon Musk takeover offer, Twitter has let go of some of its recruiting teams.
According to claims published on the 3rd of November, 2022, by a number of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch, about a third of the talent acquisition staff was impacted. Insider received confirmation of the layoffs from a Twitter spokesman.
Less than 100 workers were impacted by the layoffs, according to The Journal’s citation of Twitter.
A “slimmer workforce would make more sense” at the social media site, according to Changpeng Zhao, the chief executive and founder of Binance, who supported the move to fire some employees.
As part of Musk’s $44 billion buyout, which was finalised last week and has since been followed by a flood of adjustments and proposed overhauls of the company, Zhao, through Binance, invested $500 million (£441 million) in Twitter.