Tech

Tesla workers ordered to return to work by Musk or face the sack

Published

1 year ago

June 2, 2022

Ahron Young

Tesla boss Elon Musk has ordered staff to return to the office full-time, threatening them with the sack.

Elon Musk ordered staff to return to the office full time, saying that working remotely is no longer acceptable.

His new policy was leaked to social media.

When asked about the policy, Musk said: “People who are unwilling to abide by the new rules can “pretend to work somewhere else”.

In the email to staff, Musk says:

“Everyone at Tesla is required to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week.”

“If you don’t show up, we will assume you have resigned.”
ELON MUSK

The emails say staff should report to work at one of the company’s main offices, “not a remote branch office unrelated to the job duties”.

Mr Musk says working in the office full-time was what the company asks of its factory employees.

“There are of course companies that don’t require this, but when was the last time they shipped a great new product? It’s been a while,” he said in an email, one of two that was leaked and shared on social media.

“Tesla has and will create and actually manufacture the most exciting and meaningful products of any company on Earth. This will not happen by phoning it in.”

It’s been a huge issue for many companies across multiple industries – whether or not to allow remote work practices to continue post-pandemic.

‘I lived in the factory’

“The more senior you are, the more visible must be your presence,” he wrote in one of the emails on the remote work policy.

“That is why I lived in the factory so much – so that those on the line could see me working alongside them. If I had not done that, Tesla would long ago have gone bankrupt.”

Business

Amazon employees walk out to protest office policies

Published

1 hour ago

June 2, 2023

Costa Haritos

Staff at warehousing giant Amazon have walked off the job to protest the company’s return-to-office program

Over 1,900 Amazon employees pledged to protest globally over proposed changes to the company’s climate policy, layoffs and a return-to-office mandate.

The activist group behind the rally is known as Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), who are seeking a greater voice for employees.

“Our goal is to change Amazon’s cost/benefit analysis on making harmful, unilateral decisions that are having an outsized impact on people of color, women, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable people,” organisers said.

Over 100 people gathered at the heart of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters on Wednesday. The company said it had not witnessed any other demonstrations.

AECJ said the walkout comes after Amazon made moves “in the wrong direction”.

The company recently has recently overturned a desire to make all Amazon shipments net zero for carbon emissions by 2030.

The company maintains a pledge on climate change.

Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser told Reuters the company is pursuing a strategy to cut carbon emissions.

“For companies like ours who consume a lot of power, and have very substantial transportation, packaging, and physical building assets, it’ll take time to accomplish.”

AECJ protesters also sought support for the 27,000 staff, who had lost their jobs in recent months —around 9 per cent of Amazon’s global workforce.

The company has also mandated a return-to-office program.

Business

“I think there is a great risk”: will AI steal our jobs?

Published

2 days ago

May 31, 2023

ticker NEWS

Artificial Intelligence has become an increasingly powerful and pervasive force in our modern world.

Artificial intelligence is not a new concept. However, the growing advancements have the potential to revolutionise industries, improve efficiency, and enhance the quality of life.

Along with its promising advancements, artificial intelligence also brings certain risks and challenges that must be acknowledged and addressed.

It has become the focus of lawmakers, who are working towards greater regulation of the sector.

U.S. and European Union officials recently met in Sweden to weigh up the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.

“The AI process is creeping up on us,” said Dr Keith Suter, who is a global futurist.

“You’ve got competition between companies.”

It’s almost like some of us can see this raft that’s heading towards the rapids and a disappearance towards the waterfall, and we’re giving a warning but it’s not being heeded because everybody’s in this race to get down to the river,” Dr Suter said.