INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Tesla started Friday to furlough its sales and delivery workforce — with the least experienced employees bearing the brunt of the action
— days after a companywide email announced salary cuts and reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several employees, who work in sales
and delivery and spoke to TechCrunch on condition of anonymity, reported they were on corporate calls in which more details of the
Performance is less of a factor
Instead, experience and position is being used to determine who stays and who is furloughed.Delivery and sales advisors who have been with
the company less than two years will be furloughed, according to sources.
CNBC reported earlier Friday that furloughs would impact half of
delivery and sales workforce
TechCrunch was unable to verify the total number of sales and delivery employees who would be impacted.
The furloughs also come a little
more than a week after the end of the quarter, a typically busy time for delivery staff who try to meet lofty internal goals
COVID-19 hampered delivery efforts, although customers were still reporting deliveries in California, New York and other states.
The
furlough calls have been expected since an internal email sent April 7 by Tesla head of human resources Valerie Workman informed employees
that the company would be cutting pay for salaried employees and furloughing others.
It wasn&t clear, until Friday, exactly who might be
affected.
The internal email, which was viewed by TechCrunch, told employees that production at its U.S
factories would be suspended until at least May 4 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the company to cut costs.
Salaried employees will
have pay reduced between 30% and 10%, depending on their position
The salary reductions are expected to be in place until the end of the second quarter, according to the email
The salary cuts and furloughs will begin April 13
Employees who cannot work from home and have not been assigned critical onsite positions will be furloughed until May 4, according to the
