Tesla Employees Forced To Use Paid Time Off If Staying Home For Covid-19

Zero Hedge readers have likely been following the ongoing saga involving Tesla, where it appeared as of today that Elon Musk was going to keep the company’s Fremont factory open despite an Alameda County order requiring businesses to lockdown due to the coronavirus.

We also commented earlier today on why this crisis could be the end of America’s love affair with Elon Musk.

Now, it looks as things may even be worse than we imagined, as Tesla employees are reportedly being asked to use their Paid Time Off (PTO) if they’re sick, unable to work or nervous about the coronavirus, according to Business Insider. 

An e-mail from Tesla HR to employees informed them on Wednesday that they must use Paid Time Off to get paid, even if they are sick or unable to work due to the coronavirus. The e-mail said employees could “borrow” 80 hours of PTO if they run out. 

“There will be no disciplinary action for attendance based on health or impossibility to come to work,” the e-mail stated.

The same internal e-mail from Wednesday suggested that production is still ongoing at the factory. 

Tesla head of HR Valerie Workman said in her e-mail: “We still do not have a final word from the city, county, state, and federal government on the status, of our operations. We have had conflicting guidance from different levels of government. Until then we are operating with essential employees only while all others are working from home, and working to incorporate all CDC guidelines into our operations.”

But she then defined essential functions as “production, service, deliveries, testing, and support groups.”

Meanwhile, Alameda County, where Tesla’s Fremont factory resides, has been on lockdown but for “essential businesses” due to the coronavirus outbreak. Yesterday, the Alameda County sheriff  reminded Musk that:

“Tesla is not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order.”