SpaceX has moved swiftly, firing employees who wrote an open letter to executives in which they called Elon Musk an “embarrassment.”
News broke yesterday of a letter some SpaceX employees wrote to executives outlining their concerns over Musk’s behavior and his public persona. The letter, which began circulating within the company Wednesday, was extremely critical of Musk, demanding the company distance itself from his tweets and requesting a sit-down with executives to discuss the issues. SpaceX has given its response, firing some of those responsible for the letter, according to The New York Times.
According to the *Times*, SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell has “terminated a number of employees involved,” citing concerns over “overreaching activism.”
“The letter, solicitations and general process made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views,” Ms. Shotwell wrote. “We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this kind of overreaching activism.”
In our coverage yesterday, we highlighted that employee activism was causing many companies increasing problems. While some companies are bending over backward in an effort to engage with that activism, it appears SpaceX is taking a decidedly different approach, encouraging employees to stay focused on their work.
“Blanketing thousands of people across the company with repeated unsolicited emails and asking them to sign letters and fill out unsponsored surveys during the work day is not acceptable,” Ms. Shotwell continued.
“Please stay focused on the SpaceX mission, and use your time to do your best work. This is how we will get to Mars.”