The battle between Automattic, the owner of WordPress.com led by Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress as CEO, and WP Engine, a WordPress hosting provider, continues. Most recently, Mullenweg revealed that the decision to respond to WP Engine’s actions, including calling for a revenue share and blocking access to WP Engine, has caused disagreement among Automattic employees, prompting him to offer a solution.
Mullenweg stated that to ensure that Automattic employees continue to support the company’s direction, he has proposed a package for dissenting employees amounting to $30,000 or six months’ salary, whichever is higher, with immediate termination of employment at Automattic and no possibility of rehire in the future.
A total of 159 Automattic employees have received this offer, accounting for 8.4% of the total workforce. Of those who accepted the package, 80% work in areas related to WordPress, while the remaining employees work on other services such as Pocket Casts, Day One, and Tumblr.
Mullenweg described the past week as tumultuous for the company. Employees who accepted the package may not have anticipated this outcome, but all decisions were made to maintain long-term relationships within the organization.
Source: Matt Mullenweg via TechCrunch
TLDR: Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, offers dissatisfied employees a package of $30,000 or six months’ salary to ensure continued support for the company’s direction, resulting in 159 employees accepting the offer.
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