Automattic—Automattic offered severance 'alignment' buyout; 159 employees (8.4%) departed
In October 2024, during the WP Engine dispute, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg offered employees a severance package of up to 9 months' pay if they disagreed with his actions and wanted to leave. 159 employees (8.4% of the workforce) accepted, a significantly higher departure rate than typical voluntary buyouts. Critics viewed it as a loyalty test that chilled internal dissent.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.643 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
Confirms labor Oct 4, 2024 documented
TechCrunch report on 159 Automattic employees departing via alignment offer
TechCrunch reported that 159 Automattic employees (8.4% of workforce) accepted a severance buyout offer made during the WP Engine dispute, significantly exceeding typical voluntary departure rates.