Tesla made international headlines recently when Elon Musk defied county orders and reopened its plant during the coronavirus pandemic. Musk, however, made it clear that workers who “felt uncomfortable” working in those conditions could stay home.
Tesla has appeared to revert back to normal policy, with a human resources e-mail from May 22 making it clear to employees that they would not be paid if they chose to remain at home. The company was able to reopen fully on May 22 thanks to Alameda county officials.
Several workers assumed that Musk’s order was still in effect, and chose to remain at home rather than return to work. Three workers have now been fired according to The Washington Post for doing so, despite the fact that they kept supervisors updated regarding their own concerns. Tesla has since told the workers that they “abandoned their jobs.”
These firings follow several firings from a week ago, as other employees received termination notices for remaining home (with one worker reportedly able to keep their job).
One of the workers who received termination notices had explained to a supervisor that he was concerned about the fact that he had a 1 year-old son with respiratory issues. Tesla originally agreed that he could stay at home, but suggested shortly afterward that he apply for Family and Medical Leave act benefits. He stated of Tesla: “I don’t trust them anymore.”
