What Wayfair billionaire told workers causes firestorm

(WJW) — A billionaire CEO’s email to workers is creating a global stir as he encourages them to work long hours.

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Instead of a holiday spirit-filled Happy New Year note, the CEO’s email obtained by Business Insider reports that Wayfair CEO and co-founder Niraj Shah started an email to employees by writing to them that the company is profitable again and “back to winning.”

But it’s this comment Shah wrote that set off a firestorm of criticism as he prods his employees to work longer hours. “Working long hours, being responsive, blending work and life, is not anything to shy away from,” he wrote.

Shah added that “laziness” is not “rewarded with success.”

Social media and news outlets across the country and the world have been talking about Shah’s comments since.

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Shah also talked about the need for employees to be frugal by telling them to negotiate costs, as he gave them an example of an ethernet installation company they were getting quotes from, “think of any company money you spend as your own,” Shah wrote.

London’s Daily Mail reports that “Shah was slammed by Wayfair customers for his message to employees and they vowed to boycott the company.”

Wayfair has a distribution center in Strongsville.

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