Elon Musk says ‘difficult times ahead’ for Twitter employees as company takes new direction

The announcement comes as Musk continues in his quest to transform Twitter into what he referred to as an "everything app."

According to Bloomberg, Musk noted in the email that there was "no way to sugarcoat" the fact that "the road ahead is arduous and will require intense work to succeed."

Musk, who instituted mass layoffs upon assuming the role of CEO, informed employees that one of the ways he intended to get things back on track was by changing the company's work culture.

He stated that, effective immediately, remote work would be banned, meaning staff are now required to be present at the office for at least forty hours per week, unless they receive a personal exemption granted by Musk himself.

"Days of rest," a holdover from the pandemic era, were also scrubbed from Twitter employees' calendar.

Musk noted that the current economic situation was having an impact on Twitter, whose profit model depends on advertising, stating that he wanted to see subscriptions account for at least half of revenue.

Of all the changes Musk has made to Twitter thus far, perhaps the most controversial has been the "Twitter Blue" subscription's accompanying blue checkmark, which was once reserved for verified users.

Musk has been very open about the fact that the app is in a transition period.

"Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months," he wrote. "We will keep what works & change what doesn’t."

As the New York Times reports, Musk has stated that his end goal is to transform Twitter into an "everything app," one in which users can post updates, read the news, make payments, and perhaps even order food, as is the case with Chinese app WeChat.

"The rate of evolution of Twitter will be an immense step change compared to what it has been in the past," he said on Wednesday. “You know, if nothing else, I am a technologist and I can make technology go fast. And that’s what you’ll see happen at Twitter."