Twitter to employees today: 'If in office or on your way, please return home'

by definition, it is. It's a job

I found The Gervais Principle[1] to be an interesting read on the subject. According to its author:

"the Sociopaths use Powertalk as a coded language with which to simultaneously sustain the (necessary) delusions of the Clueless and communicate with each other"

Also relevant was the article's description of the so-called MacLeod Life Cycle of organizations, wherein:

"A Sociopath with an idea recruits just enough Losers to kick off the cycle. As it grows it requires a Clueless layer to turn it into a controlled reaction rather than a runaway explosion. Eventually, as value hits diminishing returns, both the Sociopaths and Losers make their exits, and the Clueless start to dominate. Finally, the hollow brittle shell collapses on itself and anything of value is recycled by the sociopaths according to meta-firm logic."

[1] - https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...

Its a job, what do you expect?

The other way around could have true. You could have had an amazing time at a company, and be grateful for everything they did for you during your tenure at a company, but due to life circumstances that force you to move somewhere else, or something personal in your life, you have to quit, while also being grateful for the impact a company had in your life.

In layoff situations it is almost universally better to do it all at once. This was you can assure the remaining staff their positions are safe.

The messaging and timing of course are all debatable.

I always told my managers to text or email me so I do not have to get out of bed. I will send you my laptop and we good.

I am ... unique in this. I know that most people do not like this situation and would feel betrayed. You cannot have loyalty to corporations, they are there for their interest. You have to follow yours all the time as well.

I've had the other done to me (and have even been the escort at a few other layoffs before) at several other companies, and it's never been an issue (I've unfortunately been present for many company layoffs, I have a bad track record of joining a company while they are growing and within about a year of joining, or nearly so, they start missing targets or lose major contracts and start laying people off).

Seen this happen to at least 100 people at this point. No scene. I don't doubt that someone theoretically could make a scene, but it's not common enough to warrant the insulting nature of the other.

Like I would never work for that company again, and was tempted to leave them a bad Glassdoor review as a result (much more permanent than a brief outburst in-office). But other companies I was laid off from that let me gather my things in person I would at least consider going back to at some point.

However, for Twitter, this is such a mass layoff I don't really blame them for not doing it in person (most of the ones I was present for were like 20 people at a time at most). Plus there was clearly going to be layoffs ahead of time, if I worked there I would have already brought most or all of my crap home so it wouldn't matter much anyway.