Elon Musk
Image by Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz // Bloomberg

Tesla’s Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk sent two serious emails to all employees, stating they must return to the office or it will be assumed that they have quit. One of his emails said that working from home would still be allowed, but “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.”

Musk indicated the 40-hour requirement is “less than [Tesla asks] of factory workers.”

Musk noted that higher-up employees must go into the office, stating that Tesla would have gone bankrupt a long time ago if he had not been physically present “so that those on the line could see [him] working alongside them.” 

He also said workers must return to “a main Tesla office, not a remote branch office unrelated to the job duties.” His second email referred to remote branches as “pseudo office[s].”

Musk acknowledged that many large corporations are still working remotely but asked, “When was the last time they shipped a great new product? It’s been a while.”

The first email to employees stated that he would personally “review and approve” exceptions for “exceptional contributors for whom this is impossible” but did not provide any acceptable reasons an exemption would be given. 

Unlike many other companies, Musk also did not note any incentives for returning to the office.


Did you enjoy this article from Kimberly Hurley? Read other articles on CBT News here Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by submitting a letter to the editor here, or connect with us at newsroom@cbtnews.com.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date or catch up on all of our podcasts on demand.

While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for all the latest auto industry news from CBT News.

dealers