Elon Musk is shaking up X (formerly Twitter) with a new policy for distributing stock options. In a recent email to staff, Musk revealed that employees will need to make a case for their stock grants. To qualify, they must submit a one-page document detailing their contributions and impact on the company.

This new requirement comes amid growing tensions between X's leadership and its employees. The long-awaited stock grants have been a source of frustration, especially after a recent delay in promotions. Musk’s management of X has been tumultuous, with ongoing struggles and concerns about potential layoffs.

Sources within the company have also noted that X still owes employees their annual equity refresh, which was due in April. Musk had previously promised that employees could regularly cash out their stock, similar to the benefits at SpaceX, but this has yet to be realized.

The last equity refresh, which took place in October 2023, valued the company at $19 billion, a steep drop from the $44 billion Musk paid for it. During that refresh, employees received restricted stock units (RSUs) priced at $45 per share.

As X navigates these changes, employees are left grappling with new hurdles in accessing their stock options while dealing with ongoing instability at the company.