Tesla Factory Director Justifies Home Visits to Sick Employees

 

The head of a Tesla factory in Germany has defended the company’s decision to send managers to visit employees on long-term sick leave. This move has sparked backlash from the trade union IG Metall, which represents many of the 12,000 workers at the Berlin-Brandenburg gigafactory.

André Thierig, the manufacturing director at the plant, explained that the home visits were a common practice in the industry aimed at appealing to employees' work ethic. In recent weeks, managers checked on about two dozen employees who have been on sick leave for nine months while continuing to receive pay.

The union has criticized this approach, arguing that it adds pressure to workers already facing challenging conditions, such as long hours and health and safety issues. Dirk Schulze, a regional director at IG Metall, stated, “Employees from almost all areas of the factory have reported an extremely high workload.” He suggested that to truly reduce sickness, the company needs to address the high stress levels and workload pressures.

Sick leave rates at the factory have reportedly been around 15% or higher, with union representatives claiming a “culture of fear” is affecting employee health. However, Thierig countered that some workers might be taking advantage of Germany’s labor protection laws. He noted that among the factory’s 1,500 temporary workers, the average sick leave rate is only 2%.

Thierig further pointed out trends in sick leave, mentioning that absences are often higher on Fridays and during late shifts, which he does not believe reflects poor working conditions. He claimed this suggests that the German social system is being exploited by some employees. The company has identified around 200 staff members who have not worked at all this year but continue to submit sick notes regularly.

Last year, Tesla dismissed claims from IG Metall that its health and safety measures were inadequate. The factory, located in Grünheide near Berlin, opened in 2022 and is Tesla's first manufacturing facility in Europe. The company has not yet responded to requests for further comment.