September 29, 2024 – Tesla’s sole European car manufacturing plant in Grünheide, Brandenburg, has caught the attention of CEO Elon Musk due to its high absentee rate. According to a report by Handelsblatt, the sick leave rate among employees at the Tesla factory climbed to 17% in August, which is more than three times the average level in the German automotive industry last year.
Musk took notice of the issue and indicated on the X platform on September 27th that he is investigating the matter. In recent months, Tesla has repeatedly suspended production at the plant, citing reasons such as protests against the expansion of the factory and supply chain disruptions. Additionally, the automaker is grappling with a slowdown in demand, as registrations of Tesla vehicles in Europe declined by 16% in the first eight months of this year.
According to a recording of an internal meeting last week, factory managers have conducted home visits to employees on sick leave. However, some employees have reportedly rejected these visits from executives, even threatening to call the police.
Dirk Schulze, the regional director of IG Metall, Germany’s largest industrial union, expressed his criticism, stating, “Home visits to Tesla employees are just another absurd action taken by the factory in response to the chronically above-average sick leave rate.” In an emailed statement, Schulze pointed out that Tesla employees have reported “extremely high workloads,” and that management has been pressuring both sick and healthy employees to work beyond their capabilities.
The Tesla plant, which employs approximately 12,000 workers, produces the Model Y, the best-selling passenger car in Europe last year.
