Tesla fires hundreds after company-wide performance reviews
Tesla fires hundreds after company-wide performance reviews
Company says it will replace most workers
By LOUIS HANSEN | lhansen@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area
News Group
PUBLISHED: October 13, 2017 at 4:00 pm | UPDATED: October
14, 2017 at 8:00 am
PALO ALTO – Tesla fired hundreds of workers this week,
including engineers, managers and factory workers, even as the company
struggles to expand its manufacturing and product line.
The dismissals come at a crucial point for the company,
which is pushing to increase vehicle production five-fold and reach a broader
market with its new Model 3 sedan. The electric vehicle maker missed targets
for producing the lower-cost sedan, manufacturing only 260 last quarter despite
a wait list of more than 450,000 customers.
The company said this week’s dismissals were the result
of a company-wide annual review, and insisted they were not layoffs. Some
workers received promotions and bonuses, and the company expects to hire for
the “vast majority” of new vacancies, a spokesman said.
“As with any company, especially one of over 33,000
employees, performance reviews also occasionally result in employee
departures,” a spokesman said. “Tesla is continuing to grow and hire new
employees around the world.”
In multiple interviews, former and current employees told
this news organization little or no warning preceded the dismissals. The
workers interviewed include trained engineers working on vehicle design and
production, a supervisor and factory employees.
Workers estimated between 400 and 700 employees have been
fired. Tesla refused to say how many employees were let go, although the
company expects employee turnover to be similar to last year’s attrition.
The spokesman said most of the dismissals were
administrative and sales positions, and outside of manufacturing. Tesla employs
about 10,000 workers at its Fremont factory.
Workers spoke on the condition of anonymity because they
feared reprisals from the company. Employees said the firings have lowered
morale through many departments. Several said Model X, Model S and former
SolarCity operations seemed to be targeted.
Juan Maldonado, a production worker, felt the tap on his
shoulder on Thursday. He worked at Tesla for nearly four years, and said he
heard about 60 other workers in his section of the factory were dismissed.
Maldonado, 48, said he ran late for work twice in recent
months, but thought he had straightened things out with his supervisor. Now, he
said, “I’m going to try to find a job.”
CEO Elon Musk said factory output will increase
production to a half-million electric vehicles in 2018. The company expects to
deliver about 100,000 vehicles this year.
Musk has told investors the company is focused on Model 3
production and expects to eventually build 10,000 cars a week. The
manufacturing will become highly automated, but Musk told investors during the
early ramp up he expected high overtime costs.
He also joked to employees they would be going through
“production hell” to meet demand for the new car. The company said recently a
manufacturing bottleneck caused it to fall far short of its goal to produce
1,500 Model 3s in the quarter.
The company has also started to cut some former SolarCity
operations, which were acquired by Tesla last year. In August, Tesla told state
regulators it would layoff 63 workers in Roseville, including sales and
administrative staff. Tesla lost $336 million in the second quarter.
This week’s dismissals have not been reported to the
state Employment Development Department, a spokeswoman said. The state
generally requires companies to report layoffs of more than 50 employees in a
30-day period.
Tesla said the performance-based departures were not
considered layoffs and not subject to state notifications. It also said the
moves have generally boosted worker morale, as high-performing employees have
been rewarded.
The clean energy company — maker of luxury electric
vehicles, battery storage and solar roofs — has failed to post an annual profit
even as its stock has soared on promises of revolutionary products. About
450,000 customers have placed $1,000 deposits for the Model 3.
Tesla has faced ongoing discontent from some factory
workers, who have complained about work conditions and wages below the auto
industry average.
Tesla has a hearing before the National Labor Relations
Board in November for charges that company supervisors and security guards
harassed workers distributing union literature. Tesla denied the accusations.
Openly pro-union workers were among those fired this
week. Some believe they were targeted.
The company denied union activities played a role in the
dismissals.
Michael Harley, managing editor at Kelley Blue Book and
Autotrader, thought the dismissals could be an effort to improve vehicle
production.
“It’s no secret that Tesla’s Model 3 development and
ramp-up for production has been derailed,” Harley said. “A major change in
staff – whether dismissal or layoff – is an indication that there is an upper
level movement to put the train back on the tracks.”
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