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Tesla’s ‘ultra hardcore’ work culture – as told by its employees

21 points| berkeleyjunk | 2 years ago |theverge.com

14 comments

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[+] deepsquirrelnet|2 years ago|reply
> And their stories may shock you: extremely long hours, unsafe working conditions, harassment, scandals, fines, lawsuits, and above all else, a fear that one false slip will lead to termination.

Is anybody shocked by this? It’s a tale as old as time. The people who benefit from your hard work always want you to work harder. Shocking! No reinvestment into employee safety equipment. Shocking! Greed has no upper limit. Shocking!

[+] Finnucane|2 years ago|reply
It's disturbing, but certainly not surprising. It's not like much of this is even really new news: Musk's businesses' terrible working conditions are known.
[+] lgrebe|2 years ago|reply
There’s certainly truth to this. However I’ll take it with quite a bit of salt. especially since it Echos the fear uncertainty and doubt spread during the model 3 ramp, excuse the hyperbole but according to which Tesla was already dead in the water wouldn’t ever make it and employees were forced to give their first born to the company.

I had the Tesla Mobile Service come by today to replace a broken camera. Rarely have I met such a positive, well spirited „repair guy“.

[+] mydriasis|2 years ago|reply
> Tesla employees would sleep on the floor after working upward of 12-hour-long shifts.

> “My supervisor called me the n-word right in front of other co-workers,” said Melvin Berry ...

This is what enabled Musk to become a hyper-billionaire. This is not something to be proud of.

[+] sharts|2 years ago|reply
The impression I have after talking to a couple of people is that they’re young, naive bootlickers that just want to be a part of the Elon cult.
[+] sinuhe69|2 years ago|reply
When the boss is sleeping on the factory’s floor, it’s a warning sign, isn’t it?

But I also wonder how is it on the compensation side? Was it very good? Did the workers benefit from the roaring stock price?

[+] LanceH|2 years ago|reply
Did theverge just survey employees or did they seek out employees telling the story they wanted?

I'm not denying any of the accusations, but I'm skeptical any journalism is going on here.

[+] Volundr|2 years ago|reply
From the article:

> An investigation found that Tesla’s Fremont, California, plant had three times as many Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety violations as 10 other US car factories combined. Injuries were higher than the national average, and training was shorter. And Tesla was found to have repeatedly misclassified and underreported injuries at its facilities in California and Nevada.

It's not like the article is just relying on employee anecdotes. They reported on real world safety issues, including comparisons to similar companies.

[+] xrayarx|2 years ago|reply
I don’t listen to podcasts. Aren’t there usually transcripts? Could someone please help me out?
[+] JumpinJack_Cash|2 years ago|reply
All that to build expensive gokarts for rich assholes.

Rarely have I seen a more destructive and toxic company than Tesla, of course the stock market loves it.

Started to wipe out the evil Exxon and ended up being more evil than Exxon.

[+] survirtual|2 years ago|reply
For anyone else reading, this comparison rings false and disingenuous.

Tesla has been instrumental in the transition towards electric vehicles, challenging traditional automakers to innovate and adapt to emerging technologies. This shift has the potential to reduce emissions and promote a more sustainable transportation future.

In contrast, Exxon has entrenched the use of oil on a global scale. The company is part of a collection of organizations that have prioritized short-term profits over long-term environmental sustainability. The consequences of these decisions are evident in the ongoing climate crisis, impacting ecosystems and communities worldwide.

While it is essential to critically examine all corporate actions, the differences in the operational ethos and long-term impacts of these two entities should not be overlooked. Tesla's initiatives aim at a cleaner future, whereas Exxon's history is closely linked to environmental degradation and harm.

While the accusations of intense work environment may be valid and should be rectified, the overall impact and method of financial profit are radically different than traditional orgs. There is a reason people are willing to be abused like this at Tesla; they are contributing towards a future worth living in.

For the record, I am not rich and drive a Tesla, because I witnessed what it takes in Iraq to acquire the oil used in vehicles actively contributing to the destruction of this world. Sending the poor off to die for profits of the rich while simultaneously destroying a world is not something I can support, and a Tesla was the only game in town when I purchased mine. It was the only option to clean off the stain from the rivers of blood of oil. While I witness countless people drive around in $70,000+ trucks, I have no regrets with putting 200,000 miles on my Tesla to contribute towards the end of the age of oil / death.