In a sudden move by one of Austin's tech giants, Tesla has cut an estimated 10% of its workforce globally, blindsiding employees who were notified by email, without prior warning. The layoffs were made evident through emails sent to staff early Monday morning, as part of what CEO Elon Musk says is an effort to eliminate redundancies within the company's bloated structure, according to KVUE.
Many of the affected employees found themselves unable to gain access to their workspaces and had their Tesla communications cut off, as did Bradley Olson who, while on the overnight shift, checked his phone around 2 a.m., his email inbox bore the dread-laden message of his termination, he told FOX 7 Austin that after receiving the email he experienced a "panic attack" and found himself sobbing and in disbelief. Similar fates were shared among other employees, including one who arrived at work only to discover their badge had been deactivated.
The impact of the layoffs is especially jarring in the Austin area, where Tesla's Gigafactory is a significant employment hub. One month into assembling Tesla Model Y cars, Ezkel Love's American dream was abruptly shattered when his email notification arrived declaring his services no longer required; "I got an email saying I was terminated and they made a decision to let go 10% of the workforce," Love lamented in an interview with KVUE. Tesla's reasoning behind the layoffs remains attributed to restructuring, aiming to rid itself of overstaffing in light of rapid growth.
Employees were left stunned by the lack of communication, with some disparaging the company for its dearth of transparency, like Love has been clamoring for clearer answers, and a smidge of foresight from Tesla about where the company stood and the outlook for its employees' futures. As per FOX 7 Austin, affected workers will receive details regarding severance packages and benefits continuation, most are still reeling, one employee emphatically stated, "It's ridiculous - the bomb just dropped on me and who knows how many other people."
