Following the rollout of a company-wide ban on remote working at Tesla, CEO Elon Musk is taking further steps against workers who are failing to show up.
Office-based Tesla employees must swipe into their workplaces, which registers their attendance. It has now emerged that an automated message is being sent to workers who do not swipe in often enough.
“You are receiving this email because there is no record of you using your badge to enter a Tesla facility on at least 16 days over the 30-day period ending on June 28,” the message states.
It appears the automated emails are more than just an empty threat; workers are reportedly being asked to explain their absence to both line managers and report to a company monitoring system.
Tesla returns to office-based working
A prior email, sent on 31 May 2022, reads: “Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean minimum) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla. This is less than we ask of factory workers.”
Musk does, however, suggest that “particularly exceptional contributors” may be eligible for a remote working setup, which he will assess individually.
This follows a turbulent week in which 200 staff were fired and a California office closed its doors, as part of a wider operation that will see the company reduce its salaried workforce by 10%. Reportedly, the move should not affect manufacturing staff “building cars, battery packs or installing solar”.
Overall, hundreds of workers have been left disappointed and with so many companies embracing hybrid working routines globally, Tesla’s bold move is likely to continue to offend.
