The controversy is brewing. The production director of the Tesla factory in Germany made the decision to send managers to the homes of workers who are on long-term sick leave. The unions criticize the measure and do not spare the unit’s working conditions.
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In recent weeks, a director at Tesla's electric car factory in Germany sent managers to check on about two dozen employees who continued to be paid while on sick leave for more than nine months.
André Thierig, the factory's production director, said that home visits are a common practice in the industry and that the company simply wanted to "appeal to employees' work ethic."
The action by the US-based car manufacturer, led by Elon Musk, sparked outrage from the IG Metall union, which represents part of the 12,000 workers at the gigafactory in Berlin-Brandenburg.
The union has campaigned against what it claimed were harsh working conditions, with "inhumane" long working hours and an inadequate health and safety record.
Employees in almost all areas of the factory reported an extremely high workload. When there is a staff shortage, sick workers are stressed and those who remain healthy are burdened with additional work.
If factory supervisors really want to reduce the level of sick leave, they should break this vicious circle.
Said Dirk Schulze, regional director of the union.
Accusations of a culture of fear
Sick leave rates at the factory outside Berlin, which the union says operates with a “culture of fear,” often exceed 15% or more.
The union said there is a “culture of fear” that has caused stress and sick leave among workers. However, Thierig claimed that some workers were taking advantage of Germany's labor protection laws, saying that among the factory's 1,500 temporary workers, who operate under similar conditions to full-time workers, the average rate of sickness absence is of just 2%.
In our analyzes of work attendance, some phenomena became obvious: on Fridays and night shifts, around 5% more employees take sick leave than on other days of the week. This is not an indicator of poor working conditions, because working conditions are the same across all days and shifts. This suggests that the German social system is being exploited, to some extent.
Thierig mentioned.
The company identified around 200 team members who were still being paid but did not show up for work at all this year. “They submit a new medical certificate from their doctor at least every six weeks,” he said.
Tesla rejected claims made by IG Metall that health and safety provisions at the factory were not adequate. The factory, located in Grünheide, southeast of Berlin, opened in 2022 and is the electric car manufacturer's first in Europe.
At the time, Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, cited the uncertainty surrounding Brexit as one of the factors that contributed to the decision not to build the factory in the United Kingdom and opt for Germany.
Source: pplware.sapo.pt
