June 2, 2022
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has expressed resentment over remote work and urged employees to return to work or leave the company. Musk’s position on remote work was visible in the email to employees.
“Everyone at Tesla is required to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week. If you don’t show up, we will assume you have resigned. The more senior you are, the more visible must be your presence. That is why I live in the factory so that those on the line could see me working alongside them. If I had not done that, Tesla would long ago have gone bankrupt,” Musk said.
Musk’s decision has been heavily criticized by Tesla employees and some advocacy groups.
“If there’s a mass exodus, how would Tesla finish projects? I don’t think investors would be happy about that,” wrote a Tesla employee on the anonymous app Blind.
A California-based workers advocacy group criticized Musk’s plan to return to office, saying it was a recipe for outbreaks.
“Employers, including the state government, are finding that mandating a return of all employees is a recipe for outbreaks. Unfortunately, Tesla’s disregard for worker safety is well documented, including their flouting of the county public health department at the start of the pandemic,” said Stephen Knight, executive director at Worksafe.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
