What's happened
Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory faces backlash as management conducts home visits to employees on sick leave, amid rising absenteeism rates that reached 17% in August. The company's approach has drawn criticism from labor unions and employees, highlighting ongoing concerns about workplace conditions and management practices.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Jonathan M. Gitlin from Ars Technica, the management's directive to check on sick employees has been met with significant backlash, stating, "We will not tolerate some people bending their backs for others who just don’t feel like coming to work." This sentiment reflects a broader concern about workplace culture at Tesla's Berlin factory. Meanwhile, Dirk Schulze from IG Metall highlighted the stress caused by high workloads, noting, "If the factory’s overseers really want to reduce the level of sickness, they should break this vicious circle." The Guardian's Mark Sweney reported that Thierig's comments about sick leave patterns suggest a belief that employees are exploiting the system, which has further fueled tensions. The contrasting views from management and labor unions illustrate the ongoing conflict at the factory, emphasizing the need for a resolution that addresses employee concerns.
How we got here
The situation escalated after reports indicated that sick leave rates at Tesla's Berlin factory surged to 17%, significantly higher than the German auto industry average of 5.2%. Management's response included home visits to employees on sick leave, which has sparked outrage among workers and unions.
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What is the controversy surrounding Tesla's sick leave policy?
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More on these topics
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Tesla, Inc. is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company based in Palo Alto, California. The company specializes in electric vehicle manufacturing, battery energy storage from home to grid scale and, through its acquisition of SolarCity, solar
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Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun
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Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inhabitants make it the most populous city proper of the European Union. The city is one of Germany's 16 federal states.
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The Handelsblatt is a German-language business newspaper published in Düsseldorf by Verlagsgruppe Handelsblatt.