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Elon Musk: He wants to cut thousands of jobs
Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP
According to company boss Elon Musk, Tesla apparently has too many employees.
In a brief email that SPIEGEL has seen, Musk announced significant job cuts to his employees.
"Tesla will reduce the number of employees by 10 percent because we are overstaffed in many areas," says the email with the subject "staff reductions."
Musk apparently wants fewer staff in certain areas.
According to the letter, no departments that manufacture cars and batteries or install solar systems are affected.
There the working hours should increase.
Experts from the automotive industry assume that the announced job cuts will primarily affect the so-called indirect area, for example finance and legal departments, purchasing, human resources and project planning.
Tesla is already relatively lean compared to other car companies: For example, the US group does not have classic sales, the vehicles are mainly sold online.
Tesla's press department abolished Musk back in 2020.
Musk threatens to fire employees who work from home
According to the Reuters news agency, Musk had previously informed Tesla executives via email about the planned downsizing.
It said he had a "very bad feeling" about economic development.
The company therefore had to reduce its workforce by around ten percent.
According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, around 100,000 employees worked at Tesla at the end of 2021.
Just a few days ago, Musk made headlines by banning his employees from working from home.
"If someone doesn't show up, we have to assume that person has left the company," the letter read, without a friendly salutation, with the subject line "to be super clear."
Everyone at Tesla is required to spend at least 40 hours a week in the office.
"If you don't show up, we'll assume you've resigned."
hey/mad