Ukrainian Tesla employees who are asked to return to join the defensive against Russian forces will be paid for at least three months, according to a letter sent to employees in Europe, the Middle East and Africa obtained by CNBC.
Following the initial three-month period, Tesla will reevaluate the Russian war on Ukraine and their employees’ situations to decide what else could be needed.
The email was written by Tesla Northern Europe Director Axel Tangen and it emphasized the cooperative processes Tesla and SpaceX were taking together to support the Ukrainian defense.
Tesla Offers Free Supercharging in Some Countries Near Ukraine, for All EVs https://t.co/iITQU8bT38
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) February 27, 2022
Tangen wrote, “For any Tesla employees who is a Ukrainian national and has been asked to return to Ukraine for active duty as a reservist, we will maintain their employment and salary for 3 months, with a view to assessing after this period as needed.”
In addition to paying employees involved, the letter notes other steps the automaker is taking, including Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin aiding in boxing and shipping SpaceX Starlink terminals, as well as free Supercharging for many in affected areas.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also praised employees for helping SpaceX get satellites to Ukraine.
SpaceX sent its second round of Starlink dishes to Ukraine this month, which was received on Wednesday and included hardware for generating power from a person’s car in places without electricity. SpaceX confirms there are now several hundred Starlink dishes in Ukraine.
Read the full letter from Tesla’s Axel Tangen to employees below.
Date: March 7, 2022 [Time redacted]
Subject: Conflict Support
To: DL-EU-NO-All
From: Axel Tangen
Hi Team,
Sharing this message from Joe Ward and Mariam Khalifa:
As you know, Tesla is committed to do the right thing. Whilst the situation in Ukraine is evolving, we wanted to share with you what actions are being taken to support those impacted by the conflict.
Many folks have reached to understand how they can contribute, which is awesome. It’s important we show them how we as a company are helping, what resources we have in place, and how they can also proactively support themselves. Big thanks to all of the teams that have contributed to these efforts so far – true Tesla spirit on display.
*As a priority HR EMEA team members have been connecting with employees impacted as well as their managers to ensure we check in. We will continue to ensure we provide meaningful and targeted support for our employees.
For any Tesla employees who is a Ukrainian national and has been asked to return to Ukraine for active duty as a reservist, we will maintain their employment and salary for 3 months, with a view to assessing after this period as needed.
