SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk arrives to send the crew of Inspiration 4, the first all-civilian crew into orbit, before heading to the Pad 39A’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, USA , September 15, 2021. REUTERS / Joe Skipper / File Photo
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
June 17 (Reuters) – Private rocket company SpaceX fired at least five employees after finding it had drafted and distributed a letter criticizing founder Elon Musk urging executives to make the company’s culture more inclusive, two people familiar with the matter said. the question.
SpaceX did not respond immediately to Reuters’ request for comment.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that SpaceX had fired employees associated with the letter, citing three employees familiar with the situation. It did not specify the number of employees who were fired.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
SpaceX President Gwyn Shotwell sent an email saying the company had investigated and “fired a number of employees involved” in the letter, according to the New York Times.
The newspaper said Shotwell’s email said employees involved in distributing the letter had been fired for making other employees feel “uncomfortable, scared and harassed and / or angry because the letter forced them to sign.” something that does not reflect their views. “
Reuters could not independently confirm the report.
The letter, titled “an open letter to SpaceX executives” seen by Reuters, called Musk a “distraction and embarrassment” for the company he founded.
A list of three demands states that “SpaceX must quickly and explicitly separate itself from Elon’s personal brand”, “hold all management equally accountable to make SpaceX a great place to work for all” and “define and respond equally. of all forms of unacceptable behavior. “Read more
Musk, also head of electric car maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), has been in headlines and late comedy monologues in recent months, including about his bid to buy social media giant Twitter and a reported allegation of sexual harassment.
On Twitter, Musk denied the allegation.
The open letter to SpaceX, first reported by The Verge, was produced by SpaceX employees in recent weeks and shared as an attachment in an internal group chat “Morale Boosters” that brings together thousands of employees, said a source familiar with the matter. not to be named.
Musk, also the company’s chief engineer, has been seen as a central figure in many of SpaceX’s high-profile successes, pioneering the reuse of orbital rocket boosters and the return of routine human spaceflight from the United States after a nine-year hiatus.
Much of the company’s day-to-day business operations are led by SpaceX President Gwyn Shotwell. She promised to set SpaceX’s “zero tolerance” standards against employee harassment.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
Report by Joey Roulette, Eric M. Johnson, Barangiot Kaur in Bengaluru; edited by Shailesh Kuber, Emelia Sitol-Mataris and Barbara Lewis
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.
Add Comment