Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk has told the social network’s employees that they will not be allowed to work remotely and to prepare for “difficult times ahead,” according to a media report. In his first email to Twitter staff since completing its $44 billion acquisition nearly two weeks ago, the world’s richest man said employees are expected to be in the office for at least 40 hours a week, according to Bloomberg News. He said he would only approve telecommuting on a case-by-case basis. Musk wrote that there was “no way to overstate the message” about Twitter’s challenging financial outlook and also stressed that the “absolute top priority” is finding and stopping bots, trolls and spam. “The road ahead is arduous and will require intense work to succeed,” Musk reportedly wrote in the email. Since buying Twitter late last month, Musk has laid off half its workforce and most of its top executives. It has also announced a number of actions, including charging $8 for the Twitter Blue subscription. In the email, Musk also told employees that he wanted to see subscriptions account for half of Twitter’s revenue. When Twitter in March reopened offices that had been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it said employees could still work from home if they wanted. Musk’s move mirrored policies at his other companies, SpaceX and Tesla, where he told employees to work at the office at least 40 hours a week or leave. (Al Jazeera)
