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Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

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Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#101
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This article says they are trying to bring back "dozens" of employees. 3700 were fired. Of those apparently some were fired due to clerical error. What is there to explain? There is a bunch of mass layoffs happening in other tech companies (and across the economy), are we going to pretend they will all go smoothly? Actually come to think of it, without this acquisition Twitter would still have been forced to let a bu…

Nobody else is cutting 50%, and the twitter severance isn't particularly generous either relative to other layoffs.

The other tech companies are still wildly profitable, Twitter is losing money. The severance is generous relative to company finances I'd say. Heck for some it is more than a Walmart greeter makes in a whole year actually working..

Eventbrite cut 50% during covid btw.

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#102
post #48

I'd be happy if I stop hearing about Twitter and it's alternatives.

I don’t mean to be snarky, but the solution is exercising self restraint. The world will continue on just fine if you stop engaging with the topic.

Agreed. It's extremely easy to ignore all news regarding this topic - leaving a comment stating that it's difficult says more about the commenter itself.

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#103
post #23

If I were asked back I'd take it (hopefully with an increase in salary) then I'd actively search for another job. Once I landed it I'd give zero day notice. Fuck them. I understand I could be potentially hurting coworkers by adding additional work to their plate but Twitter didn't give 2 shits about the people left behind and the work that they would have to take on. Why is it corporations can "layoff" without notice…

That is certainly a hot take. When a company is losing $4 million a day drastic measures are in order to save the company so the remaining employees still have a job. Having worked in tech for over 20 years and being on both sides of layoffs I can tell you how hard it is for the people making the decision of who to layoff is exceedingly difficult and heart breaking. It definitely looks like Twitter was a hot mess and…

Did you know that Musk's acquisition put Twitter under massive debt and his actions chasing off advertisers means they're losing even more money by the day?

Twitter was a mess prior to Musk, but stable enough to remain afloat. When Musk acquired it, it became a flaming hot mess. Layoffs like these is like treating an infected finger with amputation. It temporarily solves the problem, but then you're still left without a finger.

Only in this case he cut off a whole hand.

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#104
post #23

If I were asked back I'd take it (hopefully with an increase in salary) then I'd actively search for another job. Once I landed it I'd give zero day notice. Fuck them. I understand I could be potentially hurting coworkers by adding additional work to their plate but Twitter didn't give 2 shits about the people left behind and the work that they would have to take on. Why is it corporations can "layoff" without notice…

The U.S. healthcare system traps people in companies, for fear of losing access to reliable healthcare. A system that was completely independent from employers would be much more beneficial to employees. Plus, it would save huge administrative costs for private companies. This would especially benefit small companies, but, really, it would make the job of running any company much easier.

Healthcare.gov. We've had that system for 12 years. I've never had employer healthcare, it was way more expensive than private insurance in Hawaii, which anyone can get and you auto-qualify for enrollment if you change jobs or move.

https://www.navapbc.com/insights/twelve-years-of-healthcare-...

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#105
post #11

Can't wait to see the HN "just give Elon a chance to put his brilliant plans in motion!" crowd to explain this one to us. Enlighten us please !

HN seems pretty anti Elon, no?

I very much hope most everyone is anti billionaire-(for the time being)-manchilds-who-regularly-throws-tantrums-on-twitter-and-who-is-so-egomaniac-that-he-had-to-buy-the-title-founder-for-a-company-(which otherwise lives on government subsidies)-he-only-pumped-money-into-largely-seeded-by-daddy’s-emerald-mine.

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

HN seems pretty anti Elon, no?

A man has to be full of great melancholies to accomplish what he has. This clearly has positive and negative sides. Judging from the accomplishments of great people throughout history you cannot have one without the other. In the case of Twitter something had to be done. It was too powerful of a public forum and was mismanaged and run by extremists and exacerbated existing divisions, turning them into real rifts. If…

What did he accomplish? Like personally he himself? There is a very specific agenda/propaganda to sell this hard-working, aspiring CEO image (well predating Musk) which I could never justify. They are just megalomaniac narcissists with an extraordinary luck (that is way too downplayed) and sometimes some redeeming quality at least (in the form of some charm, or leadership). Well, I couldn’t list any such for Elon here, but even if I could, why are we worshipping these people? They ain’t working 25 hours each day, the secret to their success is not that early morning yoga whatever and sleeping 2 hours in the office. As I mentioned, luck’s role is way downplayed. It is not too hard to make much money from already much money.

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#107

I would love to listen in on those negotiations. If you’re reading this, and Twitter wants you back, I hope you ask for a contract with a year’s pay in advance, due before returning to work, at 10x your prior rate. After all, you must be one of those 10x developers if Elon is willing to eat crow and ask you to come back.

There’s likely no negotiations. More of a “could you come back please?” And you either accept because you don’t have anything lined up or tell them to go pound sand

Well, if they are indeed that important to the company, then they do have quite a large leverage.

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#108
post #11

Can't wait to see the HN "just give Elon a chance to put his brilliant plans in motion!" crowd to explain this one to us. Enlighten us please !

The pro-Elon redpill here is that he's already had at least 4 unambiguously successful companies (zip2, Paypal, Tesla, SpaceX). So maybe we are just observing what it takes to be extremely successful: Move fast and break stuff. If you want to be a multibillionaire you're going to have to make a lot of big mistakes, faster than anyone thinks possible.

Additionally I think "verified users get priority in replies" has the potential to be absolutely killer. Everyone knows that clout chasing is huge on Twitter. I could easily see a spiral like so:

* Initially 5% of daily actives buy the check marks, mostly just to own the libs (Fox News loves Elon btw). But the newborn blue checks are everywhere in replies. They're accumulating followers like no tomorrow.

* Others begin to follow suit. $8/month is a small price to pay for clout. Remember, that's what they're all there for. "If anyone tells you they don't want more twitter followers, they're lying."

* 10% of the userbase has bought a blue check. 20%. The anti-Elon folks are holding out. But their voices are growing quieter and quieter.

* The entire tenor of the site begins to change. The loudest voices are the Elon fans who bought the check mark early. His politics become dominant on the site.

* Eventually the anti-Elon folks either ragequit or end up purchasing the checkmark. Petty tyranny and clout chasing are kind of their thing. It's a case of irresistible force meets immovable object. Endgame seems hard to predict.

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#109
post #63

related: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33488224 see the top comments. "Allegedly Oracle did this years ago when they had layoffs-- employees were let go, then asked if they wanted to return. Apparently, if they said no, the company considered the exit a resignation instead of a layoff, and would refuse severance. If oracle was then taken to court over the lack of severance by former employees, those employees'…

Are you suggesting that Elon Musk is the new Larry Ellison?

Re: Twitter Now Asks Some Fired Workers to Please Come Back

#110
post #27

I would love to listen in on those negotiations. If you’re reading this, and Twitter wants you back, I hope you ask for a contract with a year’s pay in advance, due before returning to work, at 10x your prior rate. After all, you must be one of those 10x developers if Elon is willing to eat crow and ask you to come back.

Being asked to go back just means it's cheaper to get you to return than it is to recruit someone to do your old job.

And firing them was just an insanely dumb thing significantly increasing expenses.
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