Tech

Twitter is forcing its 4,900 employees to work from home

Key Points
  • Twitter is making its work from home policy mandatory. 
  • That applies to all employees globally. 
  • The company announced the decision in a blog post. 
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey arrives at the "Tech for Good" Summit in Paris, France May 15, 2019.
Charles Platiau | Reuters

Twitter is requiring its 4,900 employees to work from home according to a blog post, as the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread across the globe. 

The move is now mandatory, as the company said it has a "responsibility to support our communities, and those who are vulnerable." 

"We understand that this is an unprecedented step, but these are unprecedented times," it continues. 

The company has said that it will continue to pay contractors and hourly workers who are not able to perform their duties while working from home. 

Twitter isn't the only technology company pushing employees to work remotely. Google on Wednesday asked most of its global workforce to do so, after requesting on Tuesday that its 100,000 North American employees stay home. Amazon has asked employees in states hit by the coronavirus, like Washington, New York and California to refrain from coming into the office. 

President Trump at a press conference on Wednesday suspended travel for 30 days to most of Europe in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. 

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey met with President Trump today: White House
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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey met with President Trump today: White House