Elon Musk told Twitter staff: Commit to working “hardcore” or leave. The resulting churn can jeopardize the company’s operations

So many employees opted for severance pay that there was confusion about who should still have access to company property. Twitter has closed its offices until Monday, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg. “Please continue to comply with company policy by refraining from discussing confidential information on social media, with the press or elsewhere,” the memo added.

In the last few hours before his deadline, Musk tried to persuade people to stay. According to people familiar with the matter, key employees were brought into meetings as Thursday night’s deadline approached to hear pitches about the future of the social network. Musk, who previously said he was firmly against remote work, also sent a follow-up email Thursday softening his tone.

“All that is required for approval is that your manager takes accountability for you making an excellent contribution,” he wrote, adding that employees should have face-to-face meetings with their peers at least once a month.

It wasn’t enough. Twitter’s internal communication channels filled with employees flashing a greeting emoji, which has become a symbol of leaving the company. Former employees also tweeted the greeting publicly, along with their internal Slack messages.

Some employees who left the company speculated that so many left with their knowledge of how the product worked that the social network could struggle to fix problems or update systems during its normal operations, according to people familiar with the matter .

Twitter’s future is also being complicated by a possible US government national security review of Musk’s deal, sources said previously.

Elon Musk’s tumultuous Twitter takeover: timeline

Musk had asked employees on Wednesday to formally declare whether they were willing to continue working at the company — a commitment that would include “long, high-intensity hours.” Employees had until 5 p.m. Eastern time Thursday to fill out a Google form.

The form contained only one possible answer: “Yes”. Anyone who did not accept the form by the deadline was told they would be leaving the company with three months’ severance pay.

Musk’s ultimatum came less than two weeks after he laid off 50% of Twitter’s workforce, or roughly 3,700 employees. Many Twitter employees consulted attorneys this week to determine what to do. The form contained almost no details about the severance packages, and it wasn’t immediately clear if employees would receive legal protection that would allow them to earn stock awards or maintain insurance coverage.

Musk has brought back leaders who left either as part of his own layoffs or by resigning to persuade others to stay, one of the people said. One returning executive is Ella Irwin, who will lead Trust and Safety staff, according to a person familiar with the matter, who declined to be identified to discuss non-public changes.

Musk later sent a follow-up email about remote work, according to a screenshot viewed by Bloomberg. “Any manager who falsely claims that someone who reports to him is doing an excellent job or that a particular role is essential, remote or not, will be removed from the company.”

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