If you are not told you are fired, are you really fired? At Twitter, probably. And then, sometimes, you get your job back — if you want it.
Haraldur Thorleifsson, who until recently was employed by the social media company, logged in to his computer last Sunday to do some work — only to find himself locked out, along with 200 others.
He might have figured, as others before him have in the chaotic months of layoffs and firings since billionaire Elon Musk took over the company, that he was out of a job.
After nine days went by without him receiving an answer from Twitter as to whether he was still employed, Mr Thorleifsson decided to send a tweet to Mr Musk to see if he could get an answer.
“Maybe if enough people retweet, you’ll answer me here?” he wrote on Monday.
Eventually, he received his answer after a surreal Twitter exchange with Musk, who proceeded to ask him about his work, question his disability and his need for accommodation.
Mr Thorleifsson, who goes by “Halli” on Twitter, has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair.
While the exchange was going on, Mr Thorleifsson said he received an email that he was no longer employed.
However, Mr Musk had a change of heart late on Tuesday.
“I would like to apologise to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation. It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true, but not meaningful,” he tweeted. “He is considering remaining at Twitter.”
Mr Thorleifsson did not immediately respond to a request for comment after Mr Musk’s tweet. In an earlier email, he called the experience “surreal”.
“You had every right to lay me off. But it would have been nice to let me know,” he said in a tweet to Mr Musk.
Mr Thorleifsson, who lives in Iceland, has about 151,000 Twitter followers while Mr Musk has more than 130 million. He joined Twitter in 2021 when the social media company, under previous management, acquired his start-up Ueno.
He was lauded in Icelandic media for choosing to receive the purchase price in wages rather than a lump sum payout as this way, he would pay higher taxes to Iceland in support of its social services and safety net.
Mr Thorleifsson’s said in a tweet his next move was to open a restaurant in central Reykjavik “very soon” that would be named after his mother.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Company%20Profile
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
