According to the New York Times, SpaceX has fired at least five employees involved in drafting a letter describing the company’s CEO as a “distraction and embarrassment.”<\/p>\n
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in an email that the company had opened an investigation and “terminated a number of employees involved” with the letter, the New York Times reported.<\/p>\n
The identities of the dismissed employees were not disclosed.<\/p>\n
Shotwell’s email stated that the employees were fired because they made other employees feel “uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and\/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views.”<\/p>\n
In the controversial letter, employees complained about Musk’s strong presence on social media and how it was distracting them from pursuing the company’s goals.<\/p>\n
Employees listed three demands, including that the company quickly and explicitly distance itself from the Elon Musk brand and hold all executives accountable for making SpaceX a great workplace for everyone. The last demand involves defining and uniformly responding to all forms of unacceptable behaviors.”<\/p>\n