Before the lay offs, workers would sleep in the factory parking lot.
Virtual Slap
Many Tesla employees went above and beyond for CEO Elon Musk's electrical vehicle company, such as missing family birthdays or even sleeping in the factory parking lot — all in an effort to meet ambitious production goals and help transition the world toward a more sustainable future.
But the ongoing rounds of brutal lay offs show that company doesn't necessarily reciprocate that commitment. Case in point, look at the email Tesla sent to an unnamed recently laid off worker, posted by the The Verge, which has an unmistakably icy vibe to it.
"I am reaching out to let you know that after a careful review of your permanent work restrictions and your role, it was determined that there was no reasonable accommodation that would enable you to perform the essential functions of your position in your role," the email reads.
The email goes on to say that Tesla had no other roles for the worker in the rest of the company and concluded with: "[W]e will begin processing your separation from employment with Tesla."
"Tesla’s layoff emails are extremely chilly," Verge editor Andrew Hawkins quipped. "Even AI chatbots aren't this sterile."
Car Woes
The layoffs are happening because of a general downturn in the electrical vehicle sector, which is experiencing decreased profits and sales across the board.
But Tesla has had additional self-inflicted wounds, which include the disastrous rollout of the the Cybertruck, which has been beset with numerous incidents of it breaking down. Not to mention the lawsuits and investigations on its advanced driver assistance programs Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
This is all happening as Musk has indicated he’s moving Tesla towards robotaxis — a particularly thorny sector because they've met resistance from some local authorities and aren't quite as autonomous, at least yet, as billed by their boosters.
What's also troubling about the pivot to robotaxis is that fans of the car may be left holding the bag. Ex-employees who worked on the Tesla Superchargers say there are a way fewer people to maintain the Supercharger network, which may deteriorate in quality after the mass layoffs.
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