Allegations that Twitter has turned office space at its Market Street headquarters in San Francisco into makeshift “motel rooms” for employees are going to be investigated, according to the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection.
The investigation comes after a report from Forbes cited sources who said several offices at the building had been converted into sleeping quarters.
The quarters were described as “modest bedrooms featuring unmade mattresses, drab curtains and giant conference-room telepresence monitors” in the Forbes report. Zoë Schiffer, an editor at tech industry outlet Platformer, also alleged in a tweet that a library at the SF office had been converted into a sleeping area, quoting a current Twitter employee who described it as “cozy.”
A complaint filed through San Francisco’s 311 system, which suggested the rooms violated the city’s building codes, was shared with KTLA sister station KRON. Text from the complaint reads in part:
“Hello, several offices at Twitter have apparently been turned into motel rooms for workers to live in, contrary to code.”
Patrick Hannan, the communications director with the SF Department of Building Inspection, confirmed that the complaint was being investigated, saying, “we investigate all complaints,” adding “we need to make sure the building is being used as intended.”
“There are different building code requirements for residential buildings, including those being used for short-term stays,” Hannan said. “These codes make sure people are using spaces safely. Everyone in San Francisco deserves a safe place to live, work, play and sleep and no one is above the law.”
The department is reaching out to building representatives to conduct a site inspection as part of its investigation, Hannan confirmed.
“If we find suite 900 no longer meets the building code, we’ll issue a notice of violation, which will be posted to our website,” added Hannan, who said he expects the department to initiate its investigation in the next 72 hours.
In response to news of an inspection at Twitter headquarters, CEO Elon Musk appeared to confirm the company had set up makeshift bedrooms while calling out at San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
“So city of SF attacks companies providing beds for tired employees instead of making sure kids are safe from fentanyl,” Musk tweeted. “Where are your priorities @LondonBreed!?”
In his tweet, Musk shared a link to a San Francisco Chronicle article describing reports of a 10-month-old boy who suffered an accidental fentanyl overdose while playing in one of the city’s parks.
