Twitter has shuttered two out of three of its physical office locations in India. Staffers who worked in the offices have been told to work from home instead.
It’s another example of the drastic cost-cutting measures that CEO Elon Musk has instituted at the social media company since taking control last year.
It’s also an apparent reversal of Musk’s established position against the concept of remote work, which he essentially banned at Tesla in 2022 with an ultimatum saying anyone not working in-office 40 hours per week must depart the company.
India Offices Shuttering
Twitter has closed offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, two big tech industry hubs in India.
The news comes from Bloomberg, which notes that the third and final Twitter office in the country will remain open for now. That one is the social platform’s office in “the southern tech hub of Bengaluru that mostly houses engineers.”
It’s only the latest blow for Twitter staff in the country, as they have already been gutted in late 2022, when Twitter fired more than 90% of its over-200 India employees.
Musk’s History With Remote Work
On May 31st, 2022, Musk sent a return-to-the-office ultimatum to employees at Tesla, saying, “Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla.” SpaceX employees dealt with a similar approach to remote work, as well.
After his Twitter takeover, Musk once again took a dim view of remote work, making in-office presence one of a handful of policy changes that he initially enforced before shifting his stance on following a wave of employee resignations.
First, in early November 2022, Musk said that Twitter employees must work 40 in-office hours a week. Then, he revised this to say that their managers could allow those who were “making an excellent contribution” to work remotely.
Then in 2023, Twitter began shuttering offices, including in Seattle and Singapore, saying that staff could continue to work remotely in each location that was affected. Musk once held that remote workers are merely “pretending to work,” but saving money at Twitter appears to be a higher priority.
Why Musk Is Wrong on Remote Work
The data doesn’t support the “pretending to work” theory behind that happens when businesses switch to remote work policies rather than requiring in-office work, however.
One survey found 77% of remote employees showed an increase in productivity, as 30% completed more work in less time while 24% did more work within the same time frame. Other studies found remote workers were happier and healthier as well.
If you’d like to cut costs while boosting productivity, more workplace flexibility might just be the ticket. Consider checking out the tools that will help you transition to more remote work: Remote access software, VPNs, and password management services.
