Several days following the expiration of a six-month severance package offered to employees seeking to leave, the company surprisingly extended a new proposal on October 16, providing a nine-month severance package to those willing to depart immediately? Employees were given a four-hour window to decide whether to accept the offer.
Mullenweg revealed in a Slack message visible to TechCrunch that those who accepted the offer would forfeit access not only to Automattic, but also to WordPress.org. The removal of user accounts would prevent individuals from continuing to contribute to the open-source project under their existing identity, effectively rendering them unable to participate. This could also result in their being banned from the WordPress community altogether. The details of the agreement were previously disclosed by.
Matt Mullenweg, as CEO of Automattic, also owns and controls the open-source WordPress.org website, a key hub for the development and community surrounding this popular content management system.
Matt Mullenweg granted a four-hour window until October 17, UTC 00:00, and instructed interested parties to direct message him if they intended to accept the nine-month buyout offer by stating, “I resign and wish to take the 9-month buy-out offer.”
You don’t need to say anything at all. Automattic will accept your resignation; you may retain your workspace belongings and company laptop. “You’ll immediately lose access to Automattic and WordPress,” Mullenweg stated.
He acknowledged that some people might have felt disappointed at missing the previous deadline, which is why he established a fresh opportunity for them to take part.
Automattic had yet to address the narrative by the time of its release. Few details are available on whether employees accepted the innovative offer.
The WordPress co-founder’s autobiography was targeted at people who disagreed with his stance on entrepreneurship. Following a mass exodus from Automattic, several key figures departed the company, including the head of WordPress.com, head of packages and contributor expertise, Principal Architect for AI, and Government Director at WordPress.org.
The controversy surrounding WP Engine’s involvement with WordPress sparked a heated debate, with Matt Mullenweg labeling the company “cancer” to the open-source project due to perceived lack of contributions. Here is the rewritten text:
The recent conflict between Automattic and WP Engine revolved around cease-and-desist letters, with Automattic alleging that WP Engine engaged in malicious activities and WordPress.org impeding WP Engine’s access while hijacking a plugin they previously maintained.
TechCrunch recently reported that Automattic is preparing to vigorously defend its trademarks, according to a 2022 internal publication written by the company’s former chief legal officer.
