Elon Musk Brutally Tells Tesla Executives They Must Return to Offices ‘Or Depart Tesla’
It’s unclear what the future of work will look like in a post-pandemic world.
FREDERIC J. BROWN | Getty Images
Many companies have adapted to a hybrid model, with others going fully remote and some bigger companies (like the major banks) already requiring full-time returns to office.
Regardless of how the working world continues to change, it’s become clear that the concept of flexibility has become more prevalent than ever for major businesses.
Related: Tesla Cybertruck: First Production Delays, Now Restricted Regions
Well, most major businesses, not including Elon Musk’s Tesla, according to new leaked emails from the CEO himself.
In an email to Tesla executives with the misspelled subject “Remote work is no longer acceptble,’ Musk wrote that those who wish to continue to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum of 40 hours “or depart Tesla,” with Musk noting that this is less than he asks of Tesla factory workers.
He also said that he would review cases on an individual basis if this isn’t possible for them to achieve if they are “particularly exceptional contributors.”
#Tesla no longer allowing remote work@TeslaPodcast @SawyerMerritt @WholeMarsBlog @garyblack00 @GerberKawasaki pic.twitter.com/DKAgh9ptSX
— Sam Nissim (@SamNissim) June 1, 2022
Musk then clarified that going into the office means going into one of Tesla’s main offices that are directly related to each executive’s job duties, not a branch-off office that’s unrelated to what each executive is specifically designated to do.
The email was dated on May 31 and leaked by Tesla shareholder Sam Nissim; the same screenshot was later reposted by Whole Mars Blog, which then asked Musk to comment on the validity of the message.
“Any additional comment to people who think coming into work is an antiquated concept?,” Musk was asked.
His response? “They should pretend to work somewhere else.”
Mic drop.
Musk did not comment further on the matter, but it was implied that he was referencing the productivity levels of his Tesla execs that have been working remotely.
Tesla is coming off of a strong Q1 of 2022, beating estimates with a 80.5% increase in revenue from the same period last year thanks to an increase in vehicle production and a hopeful upwards trend in sales as the pandemic wanes down, though supply chain disruptions are still a threat to the company in the months ahead.
The company’s largely anticipated cybertruck is also seeing production delays and is now only available to North American customers, something the company has had to adapt to and mitigate.
“We have more orders of the first Cybertrucks than we could possibly fulfill for three years after the start of production,” Musk said during the FT Future of the Car 2022 conference.
The electric vehicle company was down around 3% early Wednesday afternoon.
