Some of Twitter’s remaining employees have reportedly started bringing their own toilet paper into the office while Elon Musk implements sweeping cost-cutting measures at the company.
Musk’s efforts to save money this month included a move to abruptly fire janitors who worked at the company’s San Francisco headquarters. The cuts came after janitors went on strike for more wages.
The absence of janitors has “cluttered the office,” with bathrooms that have “got dirty” and lingering smells of “food scraps and body odor,” the New York Times reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, some employees are bringing their own toilet paper due to the lack of janitors on hand to replace supplies. Musk allegedly packed Twitter employees up two floors and shut down four others.
Other budget-conscious moves included Musk’s decision to shut down one of Twitter’s data centers in Sacramento, California, despite some employees’ reports of concerns it could affect the site’s performance.
On Christmas Eve, Musk tweeted that Twitter was still working “even after I disconnected one of the more sensitive server racks.” The site experienced a widespread outage on Thursday, although the exact cause remains unclear.
Domestic workers were cut as part of Musk’s austerity measures.AP
According to the report, Twitter has missed rent payments on its San Francisco offices and has stopped paying rent entirely on its Seattle building, where it is now facing evictions. The company also laid off cleaners and some security guards at one of its New York buildings.
Additionally, the Musk-led company has reportedly missed or delayed payments to some vendors, including accounting firm KPMG and benefits provider Carrot. Twitter’s new leaders are said to be aiming to renegotiate some of the agreements to cut costs.
According to the New York Times, Musk has put off some Twitter employees with an “unpredictable and hands-on leadership style.” Twitter’s CEO has instructed his subordinates to identify employees responsible for leaking details about the company’s operations to the press.
Overall, Musk is reportedly trying to shave $500 million in material costs from the Twitter budget, according to the outlet.
Musk reportedly lumped workers together on two floors in San Francisco. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The billionaire has been open about Twitter’s financial woes since buying the company for $44 billion in late October. Earlier this month, Musk argued that his various cuts were necessary to avoid a $3 billion budget shortfall.
“That’s why I’ve spent the last five weeks cutting costs like crazy,” Musk said during a Twitter Spaces event last week. “This enterprise is basically like you’re in an airplane that’s heading for the ground at high speed with its engines on fire and the controls don’t work.”
The Post reached out to Twitter for comment. The company has downsized its entire communications team.