Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg offered employees a resignation option for the second time following disputes regarding WordPress. According to 404 Media, Mullenweg told employees that if they were not satisfied with the decisions he made, they could consider an offer to quit in exchange for 9 months’ salary. Employees were given until October 17 to make this decision.
In the message reached by 404 Media, Mullenweg said: “A new integration offer: I think some people were upset that they missed the previous opportunity. Some of them leaked to the press and former employees. You can privately send me the message “I resign and I would like to accept the 9-month severance pay offer” until October 17th. You don’t need to give any reason. I’ll just reply ‘Thank you’. “Automattic will accept your resignation,” he said.
Earlier this month, Mullenweg proposed to his employees that those who do not support his fight against the WP Engine platform should be fired. Under this proposal, employees could leave their jobs with $30,000 or six months’ salary, whichever is higher. The rate of employees who accepted this offer was recorded as approximately 8.4 percent. In his new proposal, Mullenweg told employees who leaked information to the press that they should “leave the company politely” or they would be fired the next day without any compensation.
According to 404 Media, in July, Mullenweg forwarded emails from Blind, a platform where employees exchange anonymous opinions about their workplaces, to his inbox. It was claimed that employees logging into the Blind platform with their company emails had to contact Mullenweg to receive their authentication codes.
Automattic and WP Engine were sued
Mullenweg’s dispute with WP Engine came to a head last month when he described the company as a “cancer” for the WordPress community in comments he made. Mullenweg accused WP Engine of infringing WordPress trademarks, which caused a huge public outcry. WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Mullenweg and Automattic, accusing the company of “abuse of power, bullying and greed.”
Automattic is known as the company owned by Mullenweg and which runs the business operations of WordPress.com. Mullenweg is also one of three board members of WordPress.org. In an interview with The Verge, Mullenweg stated that the WordPress project belongs to him.