A nine-month severance package was floated by Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg, just four hours after the initial six-month offer.
On October 16th, just days after offering a six-month severance package to employees who wanted to leave, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg floated a new offer of a nine-month severance package. The new deal was presented as an opportunity for anyone who quit immediately and wanted to take the extended buy-out.
The Initial Offer
Earlier in the week, Mullenweg offered a six-month severance package to employees who wished to leave the company. This initial offer was made in response to employees who didn’t align with his views on Automattic’s fight against hosting provider WP Engine. The first batch of people who left Automattic included top executives such as:
- Head of WordPress.com (Automattic’s commercial WordPress hosting arm) Daniel Bachhuber
- Head of programs and contributor experience Naoko Takano
- Principal architect for AI Daniel Walmsley
- WordPress.org’s executive director Josepha Haden Chomphosy
WP Engine vs. Automattic: A Battle Brewing
The fight between Automattic and WP Engine started nearly a month ago when Mullenweg called WP Engine "a cancer to WordPress" and accused the independent firm of not contributing enough to the WordPress open source project.
Since then, the battle has escalated with:
- Cease-and-desist letters being exchanged
- A lawsuit filed by WP Engine against Automattic
- WordPress.org blocking WP Engine’s access to its platform
- Automattic taking over a plug-in maintained by WP Engine
What Does This Mean for Employees?
Employees who accepted the new offer would lose access not only to Automattic but also to WordPress.org. This means that they wouldn’t be able to contribute to the open source project under their existing ID, effectively banning them from the WordPress community.
Mullenweg gave employees just four hours to decide whether they wanted to take the deal. In a Slack message seen by TechCrunch, he posted:
"Hey team,
If you want to accept the 9-month buy-out offer, please DM me with ‘I resign and would like to take the 9-month buy-out offer.’
You don’t have to say any reason or anything else. I will reply "Thank you." Automattic will accept your resignation, you can keep your office stuff and work laptop. You will lose access to Automattic and Worg."
Will Employees Take the New Offer?
It is not clear if any employees took the new offer. The company’s headcount currently stands at 1,731, according to its website; a few hours ago, it stood at 1,732.
Conclusion
The ongoing battle between Automattic and WP Engine continues to escalate, with Mullenweg floating a new severance package for employees who want to leave. Employees who accept the offer will lose access not only to Automattic but also to WordPress.org, effectively banning them from the WordPress community.
As the fight between the two companies continues, it remains to be seen how this will affect the WordPress community and open source project.
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