I, for one, appreciate this.
Tesla boss Elon Musk has ordered staff to return to the office full-time, declaring that working remotely is no longer acceptable.
The new policy was shared in emails that were leaked to social media.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on the messages, one of which appeared to be addressed to executives.
People who are unwilling to abide by the new rules can “pretend to work somewhere else” Mr Musk said on Twitter, when asked about the policy.
“Everyone at Tesla is required to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week,” he wrote in one of the emails. “If you don’t show up, we will assume you have resigned.”
Don’t get me wrong.. I am not making a statement on the policy. I have been a remote worker for 15+ years and don’t think I would ever go back to work in an office unless 1) I had to, or 2) they paid me a LOT of money. I think remote workers can be very effective, but it is not appropriate for all job roles. It is also not appropriate for all people. It takes some self-discipline.
It is also perfectly acceptable for a company to want workers in the office for the inherent benefits the company gets in terms of culture and collaboration. Musk believes that working in an office is better for his business’ outcomes and is not going to coddle employees who won’t accept that condition of employment. Good for him. And if that stance costs him great employees, then that’s a consequence he will have to manage. We need to get back to having workplaces that are mutually beneficial for all parties. If it isn’t working for one of the parties, then they are free to make adult decisions about their future.
If the factory workers have to go work, then so should the office workers as well.
But the office works think they are better people than the factory workers.
I’m fine with Musk setting the rules for his company.
This statement was a shitbag thing to say, and leads me to believe I would never want to work for him
>People who are unwilling to abide by the new rules can “pretend to work somewhere else”
>If the factory workers have to go work, then so should the office workers as well.
If the factory workers have to wear steel toe shoes, then so should the office workers as well.
Likewise…if the office workers have to wear neckties, then so should the factory workers as well.
After all – one size fits all, right?
The “pretend to work” opinion is not even remotely unique to Elon Musk. It’s likely an honest assessment of his management team’s recent experiences with at least some of their remote employees. Leading (managing) the remote workers of a manufacturing business over the last couple of years has been rough, but it’s really a matter of perspective. Are you the one trying to herd stray cats or are you one of the stray cats preferring not to be herded? There is not a polite way to induce some of the more recalcitrant strays to rejoin the herd. After allowing everyone a reasonable amount of time to work out their new personal logistics, drop-dead dates arrive with decisions to be made. Adult decisions, as Owen says.
>The “pretend to work” opinion is not even remotely unique to Elon Musk.
True dat. Most folks who slough off at work will naturally assume everyone else does so as well.
Musk likes to brag about all the time he spends at his factories, but how much of that time is he actually doing any “work”?