As many as 5 SpaceX employees were fired after an open letter criticising CEO Elon Musk was circulated by The Verge, with the company describing the open letter as “overreacting activism”.
The letter was published on 16 June, criticising Elon Musk’s behaviour in public and online, as well as criticising the leadership of the company.
The letter was shared with more than 2,500 employees via an internal chat system, where employees were asked to sign the letter.
They also described Musk’s behaviour in the “public sphere” as a frequent source of “distraction and embarrassment” for them.
They also cited SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell’s “No a-holes” company policy, saying that the SpaceX leadership was not applying the policy equally.
Shotwell: "At SpaceX we have a no asshole policy."
— Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) June 14, 2021
"These kinds of people – assholes – interrupt others, they shut down or co-opt conversation, and they create a hostile environment where no one wants to contribute."
Following this, up to 5 employees were fired because of the letter, with Shotwell releasing a letter of her own saying that the writers had “pressured” their colleagues into signing something that “didn’t reflect their views”, according to The Verge.