Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to Tesla and Space X’s corporate staff: spend a minimum of 40 hours a week in the office or leave the company. Musk confirmed in a tweet today that the screenshots of an email sent to workers were real. According to The New York Times, workers at both companies received similar notes from Musk that made it clear that all workers must report to a head office for 40 hours a week. Musk also wrote that employees could no longer work from “remote branch office” offices unrelated to their work duties, citing the example of a human resources worker at the Fremont factory who works outside the state.
“The bigger you are, the more visible your presence should be,” Musk said in a note to SpaceX employees obtained by NYT. “That’s why I spent so much time in the factory, so that those on the line could see me working alongside them. If I hadn’t done that, SpaceX would have gone bankrupt a long time ago.”
Musk, who takes a strong stand on remote work, contrasts with a number of other big tech companies that have allowed all or most workers to apply to work from home on a permanent basis, such as Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce and Slack. Apple recently suspended the requirement for workers to return to the office at least three days a week.
As reported by Bloomberg today, Twitter employees, who are likely to report to Musk once the company’s acquisition is complete, have internally expressed some concern about SpaceX and Tesla’s remote work policies ( or lack thereof) announce unwanted changes to your own workplace.
Tesla’s career website still includes a number of paid and hourly distance places. It is unclear whether the new policy will apply to these positions. Engadget has contacted Tesla to comment, though we are unlikely to be heard: The company dissolved its corporate communications department in 2020.
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