Twitter’s Global Shake‑up Hits Singapore—Employees Brace for the Big Cut
When an email knocks on your inbox, you’re usually not expecting the
card you’ll get on the back of it next to a stern headline about
jobs. That was the reality for Twitter staff on
relieved
Friday, as the tech giant rolled out a wave of layoffs that reached
even the tiny island nation of Singapore.
All Hands on Deck—Or All Hands in the Ditch?
People in Singapore’s Twitter office didn’t get a pass. Staff from
engineering, sales and marketing all heard the same dreaded line in
their mailboxes: “These cuts are an effort to place Twitter on a healthy
path.” A quick second email—sent to folks hinging on private email
accounts—then laid it out: keep your job or ten steps to the next
screen.
One Singapore Employee’s Story
“We kept dismissing these rumours because no official words
came out,” —said a staffer who didn’t want to be named. “The
company’s confidence it was all “maintaining a healthy path” felt
like an odd mantra while we were stuck without top‑level guidance.
After CEO Parag Agrawal and the big‑name CFO Ned Segal were let
go, even basic updates turned into a mystery. According to the email,
the mishap was essentially a “no‑information” zone—almost like a
Netflix season finale with no spoiler alerts.
How Many Are Going Home?
We don’t yet know exactly how many Singaporean Twitterers were let
go. But some employees did share their feelings on Twitter itself,
using the #LoveWhereYouWorked hashtag and a saluting emoji. The
tweets simply say… ”moving on” and “feel the love.”
Musk’s Massive 3,700‑Job Cutper Two‑Delete Operation
For context, Elon Musk announced a plan to slash nearly 3,700 staff
globally—a half‑off of the worldwide workforce—after his
$44 billion acquisition. The billionaire, who has dubbed himself
“Chief Twit” and has lined up as interim CEO, promised to “focus on
core product” and phoned the tech labs like a drum commander: “
Software engineering, server operations & design will rule the roost.”
The Legal Backlash
Job cut news sparked a class‑action lawsuit in the United States,
arguing that the layoffs were “illegal” for not providing enough
notice, violating federal and California laws. Employees say a
settlement isn’t what they expect.
Twitter’s Earlier Dream—Double Engineers in Singapore?
Long before Netflix had a “distressed” episode, Twitter was proud:
in January 2022, it vowed to double its engineering headcount in
Singapore to over 100 by the end of 2023. The reality? The company
has now turned a promise into a cut‑back drama.
Layoffs Are Here, but Not Just Twitter
Other tech firms are seen waving the same flag. Stripe is trimming
its workforce by 14 percent, leaving about 7,000 people on the road,
while we learn that the pattern of job cuts is “spreading through the
tech world” like a cold that only the pay grade knows how to
explain.
Bottom‑Line Take‑away
It’s no secret that the tech universe is wracking its brain on
cost‑cutting and staff realignments. But for the team in Singapore, the
it was a literal “drop the mic” moment that everyone lost the
second of their week.
Many will now have to adjust to a new reality—whether that means
looking for work somewhere else, or simply updating their LinkedIn
profile. While Twitter’s own “healthy path” is still a work in
progress, we’ll keep you posted on how the reality continues to unfold
—because who wants to stay in the “Unknown” zone if you can
check out the rest of the story?
