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Tesla fires employee who says he slept in his car to be closer to the office: “Sacrificed a lot”
Tesla is known as a demanding workplace, with its Glassdoor reviews noting that employees typically work long hours and put in time on the weekends. But a recent LinkedIn post from a Tesla worker who lost his job earlier this month is sparking a debate about whether workers should make such sacrifices for their employers.
In the post, former Tesla worker Nico Murillo writes about his dedication to the electric vehicle maker, noting that he slept in his car on weekdays at one point in 2023 to cut out his 1.5-hour commute. “Showered at the factory and slept in the parking lot. Microwaved dinner in the break room,” he wrote.
Then, Murillo wrote, he logged into his computer on April 15 at 4:30 a.m. to find his account had been deactivated. He soon noticed an email that read, “Unfortunately as a result, your position has been eliminated by this restructuring.” Murillo nevertheless drove to his office and tried to badge in.
“[T]he security guard took my badge and told me I was laid off,” Murillo wrote. “Sat in my car in disbelief.”
Describing his roughly 5 years at Tesla, where his most recent role was as a production supervisor, he added, “Sacrificed a lot for the company.”
Tesla, which had more than 140,000 workers as of December, is in the process of cutting 10% of its employees as it copes with a slump in demand for its electric vehicles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a memo to staff that the layoffs are needed to “enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle.”
But Murillo’s description of his dedication to Tesla and his abrupt firing has sparked an outpouring on LinkedIn, with more than 1,600 replies. One common refrain came from people who described themselves as having gone through similar experiences, and who now said they question whether it’s worth giving so much time and energy to an employer.
“After 17 years with a company and 1 year away from retirement, headquarters in Utah phoned me to tell me my position was being eliminated and I was to vacate the building immediately,” one LinkedIn member responded to Murillo. “I also gave everything to my job but made too much. Corporations do not care about the people.”
Another commenter added, “[D]o not sacrifice your health, time and well-being for any organization because as you see they will let you go without any remorse.”
Neither Tesla nor Murillo immediately responded to requests for comment about the post.
More layoffs?
Meanwhile, Tesla is laying off even more employees, according to Monday reports in Eletrek and The Information. Musk wrote in a Monday memo that the company is cutting two senior executives, supercharger senior director Rebecca Tinucci and head of new products Daniel Ho, according to The Information.
Tesla is also laying off almost all of its 500-person charging team, Eletrek reported.
Earlier this month, Tesla reported its first-quarter profit plummeted 55%, the victim of falling global sales and the carmaker’s own price cuts. Revenue slipped 9% to $21.3 billion.
Consumer demand for EVs has slowed amid concerns over their cost and usage issues, such as batteries that lose effectiveness in cold weather. And rival automakers are rolling out their own EVs, causing Tesla’s market share to shrink.
To be sure, companies often need to cut costs or restructure when they hit rough patches. But the experience for the workers who lose their jobs can be painful, especially for those who put in long hours and sacrificed their personal lives, as expressed by Murillo.
Still, he added that he views his five years at Tesla as just part of his story. “I’m only 29 years old and have a lot more career time in me,” he wrote.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.