Elon Musk Demands Return to Office – More Companies Could Soon Follow Suit
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants the staff of his electric vehicle company to return to the office full time.
In an internal email addressed to Tesla "ExecStaff", which was leaked by investor Sam Nissim, the billionaire wrote that employees must be back at the office for a minimum of 40 hours per week or leave the company. He additionally notes that the time requirement is less than what's asked of the company's factory workers.
"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,” wrote Musk in the email.
He does, however, say that there can be exceptions "for exceptional contributors whom this is impossible". But he'll be the one to personally review their situations and decide whether they can continue to work remotely or not.
"If you don’t show up, we will assume you have resigned," warned Musk in a follow-up email to employees, reiterating his stance on remote work in the company.
Reuters reports that two of its sources have confirmed the authenticity of the email. Tesla did not respond to its request for comment.
For the controversial tech executive, physically working together in the office is what supposedly allows the company to push out great products. He doesn't believe this can be done if employees are remote and "phoning it in".
Will other tech companies follow Musk's example? Perhaps so. The likes of Google and Apple already required employees to report back to the office a couple of months ago, though still in a hybrid arrangement. Both of which had employees working back at their desks for at least three days a week. Microsoft, meanwhile, called employees back as early as March, but continues to hinge on a combination of in-person and remote work.
As many as two-thirds of employers in the U.S. already want their employees back on-site, according to staffing and consulting firm Robert Half. There is, however, some pushback from the employees themselves, who cite surging gas prices and the flexibility of a hybrid arrangement, along with the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 virus, as reasons why in-person work should be reconsidered.
California, for example, recently saw a surge in COVID-19 cases, with San Francisco among the hardest hit. Many tech companies have offices in the Bay Area, including Tesla, which has its engineering base and one of its factories there. Despite the recent surge and some resistance from employees, Musk putting his foot down to end remote work in Tesla could be a precedent for others to follow suit in the months to come.
While no one can say for sure what the best work arrangement for each company is, those in leadership positions should ultimately be responsible for the health and safety of their employees.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants the staff of his electric vehicle company to return to the office full time.
In an internal email, the billionaire said employees must be back at the office for a minimum of 40 hours per week or leave the company.
For Musk, physically working together in the office is what supposedly allows the company to push out great products. He doesn't believe this can be done if employees are remote and "phoning it in".
Musk putting his foot down to end remote work in Tesla could be a precedent for other tech companies to follow suit in the months to come.