If it does end up paying out it presents a scary legal precedent that my feelz are worth more than literal bodily harm and/or death on behalf of an employer.
Many of our members are retired and / or live outside of the USA and so I wonder if they realize how things are getting in the workplace in corporate USA. I've been in management in software engineering for over a decade. Prior to that I was a programmer for over a decade.
The company I currently work for has a presence in many states in the USA, including California. As such, all staff must undergo frequent diversity and conduct training that matches California's standards. This training is tracked and logged and it must be completed regularly for employment.
As a manager, if something inappropriate is said, I must take action and document all steps. The documentation is heavy because of the worry of justifying the actions taken, including potential termination, in case of a lawsuit.
Having been in this type of professional environment for years, I do not cuss at work and I'm careful /nervous to share any personal views at work, even something as simple as an opinion on a new movie. My friends have commented that I'm more reserved "manager mode" in my personal interactions, too.
Years prior, at a different company, I had an employee that did well on my team for years but then had an attitude shift and began causing issues. I spoke to HR and they decided to handle it directly and keep me mostly out of it (unusual but I think they were sensitive because employee was female and non-white). After several meetings with employee, HR terminated her employment. I found out when HR informed me. Afterwards, ex-employee filed a complaint with the state, named me and several other managers, and made some ridiculous claims. All my documents, emails, and records regarding her employment were frozen for 18 months and during that time I was told I may be called in for a deposition. In the end, the state dismissed it.
So, assuming Tesla followed the expected procedures with discipline, training, and documentation, what more should they have done?
My opinion is that this is an obvious money grab. I wonder if the jury was biased against Tesla and Elon Musk as a result of the constant media slant against them for the past decade. I know plenty of people that think Elon is just another spoiled rich kid that started with daddy's money. The FUD has consequences.
I also think it shows what kind of society we live in that cases like this are rewarded. Looking forward to being able to "retire" from management thanks to help from TSLA.
