Is Elon thinking of REHIRING some of the fired SuperCharging folks

[TomServo]

Tesla may try to rehire some of the employees it laid off

Tesla boss Elon Musk may not be as "absolutely hardcore" about layoffs as he said he was in a Monday night email.

www.businessinsider.com

"Tesla Supercharger" by Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine is marked with CC0 1.0.
Admin note: Image added to Blog Feed thumbnail

 

[RayK]

If I was one of those that got unceremoniously fired via an impersonal email and then received an offer to be rehired, I'd have to think real hard about accepting. Double my previous pay rate and a boatload of stock might entice me back but I'd still be putting feelers out for a job elsewhere.

 

[Tam]

If I was one of those that got unceremoniously fired via an impersonal email and then received an offer to be rehired, I'd have to think real hard about accepting. Double my previous pay rate and a boatload of stock might entice me back but I'd still be putting feelers out for a job elsewhere.

I haven't heard anyone giving a compliment that Elon is the greatest boss ever!

Ask his loyal assistant who asked for a raise after 12 years that landed her in a layoff:

“Brown — or MB, as everyone called her — became Musk’s loyal assistant, establishing a real-life version of the relationship between Iron Man’s Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. If Musk worked a twenty-hour day, so too did Brown. Over the years, she brought Musk meals, set up his business appointments, arranged time with his children, picked out his clothes, dealt with press requests, and when necessary yanked Musk out of meetings to keep him on schedule. As a result, she would emerge as the only bridge between Musk and all of his interests and was an invaluable asset to the companies’ employees.”

Why Elon Musk Fired His Long-Term Assistant Who Asked for A Raise – Educator.com Blog

 

[Watts_Up]

If I was one of those that got unceremoniously fired via an impersonal email and then received an offer to be rehired, I'd have to think real hard about accepting. Double my previous pay rate and a boatload of stock might entice me back but I'd still be putting feelers out for a job elsewhere.

I have been in an opposite situation where after giving my resignation notice, my employer offered me a very good new offer.
I did some researches and from all comments that I read about such situation, I didn't accepted this new offer because continuing
working there would certainly not the way it was before... So I decided getting a new experience and I never regretted it.

 

[Tiger]

I haven't heard anyone giving a compliment that Elon is the greatest boss ever!

Probably as nuanced as everything can be:

Musk came up with a test to decide whether or not he should give Brown a raise. He told her to take a two-week vacation and took over her duties himself during that time. When she returned, Musk told her he didn’t need her services.

“Mary Beth was an amazing assistant for over 10 yrs, but as company complexity grew, the role required several specialists vs one generalist," he continued. "MB was given 52 weeks of salary & stock in appreciation for her great contribution & left to join a small firm, once again as a generalist.”

Elon Musk's Long-Time Assistant Exposes The Unjust Reason She Was Fired

Seems like a cruel way to fire her.

www.yourtango.com

 

[RayK]

I have been in an opposite situation where after giving my resignation notice, my employer offered me a very good new offer.
I did some researches and from all comments that I read about such situation, I didn't accepted this new offer because continuing
working there would certainly not the way it was before... So I decided getting a new experience and I never regretted it.

In my job career, starting from 1973, and holding six different jobs with only two unemployment interruptions until 2019, I've only had one situation that was close to what you describe. I had already decided to leave the company that I was at when the corporate owners decided to shut the whole place down. Upper management asked me to stay during the transition time to deal with selling off assets (designs, IP, equipment). I don't remember what the offer was but I turned them down since I already had accepted another job. I suggested that one of my staff take my place (after first discussing it with her and laid out the pros and cons about it) and they did keep her on for the few months it took to shut the company (re: Synertek, early 1985).

There's way to handle staffing issues and that's to think and plan about what you need to do before any "downsizing" takes place. This current situation at Tesla seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to something that we may or may not find out about in the future. Maybe there is a plan. But it's not evident to me, nor it seems, most of the experts in the industry.

 

[Watts_Up]

I would not be surprised if Tom Zhu, currently Elon Musk’s right-hand man at Tesla,
was not also behind this drastic layoff, who seems to be a kind of Twitter 2.0...

If I remember, Tom Zhu first position at Tesla in Shanghai was to develop the supercharging network in China,
so part of the supercharger development might get transfered more and more in China, which is the biggest world car market.

 

[FastEddieB]

If I was one of those that got unceremoniously fired via an impersonal email and then received an offer to be rehired, I'd have to think real hard about accepting.

“Burn me once…”

 

[elrobrex]

If I was one of those that got unceremoniously fired via an impersonal email and then received an offer to be rehired, I'd have to think real hard about accepting. Double my previous pay rate and a boatload of stock might entice me back but I'd still be putting feelers out for a job elsewhere.

In a normal economy, yes.

In this economy, where I spent 13 months searching for my current role (fortunately I was only unemployed for 5 months, but I knew the writing was on the wall much earlier), I'd take the rehire, bite my tongue, put on a fake smile, and use that time to find a better role.

 

[CyberGus]

If I was one of those that got unceremoniously fired via an impersonal email and then received an offer to be rehired, I'd have to think real hard about accepting.

“Burn me once…”

I'd take the rehire, bite my tongue, put on a fake smile, and use that time to find a better role.

If your partner suddenly dumps you, and quickly begs you to take them back, you have a decision to make. But that's a toxic relationship.

 

[Dear_OP]

I would not be surprised if Tom Zhu, currently Elon Musk’s right-hand man at Tesla,
was not also behind this drastic layoff, who seems to be a kind of Twitter 2.0...

If I remember, Tom Zhu first position at Tesla in Shanghai was to develop the supercharging network in China,
so part of the supercharger development might get transfered more and more in China, which is the biggest world car market.

This is interesting info.

Perhaps there is a convergence of roles and responsibilities. Perhaps Tom emerged as the better of the two between Tannuci?
As for re-hire? Don't take it personally if it is a general lay-off. It's all business. You can come back for the money. But better have an exit plan yourself.

You either turn the pages yourself or have someone turn them for you.

 

[mborkow]

For all the people saying they wouldn’t accept an offer to be rehired, I don’t think you are being realistic. It takes (4) years to build up your equity position at a tech company based on annual stock grants that vest over that amount of time. Even if you get an equivalent job with another company, you’ll be making a lot less money until you have that built up. It also isn’t that easy to find another job these days. Most of my friends who were laid off earlier this year are still looking (even some really talented ones). If I was laid off and my former employer approached me about being rehired I’d insist that all my equity and seniority be restored with the rehire and then thank them for the opportunity. I might keep looking for a new job but no way I’d thumb my nose at being restored to my previous position and unless you happen to be independently wealthy I am guessing most of you wouldn’t either.

 

[RTPEV]

For all the people saying they wouldn’t accept an offer to be rehired, I don’t think you are being realistic. It takes (4) years to build up your equity position at a tech company based on annual stock grants that vest over that amount of time. Even if you get an equivalent job with another company, you’ll be making a lot less money until you have that built up. It also isn’t that easy to find another job these days. Most of my friends who were laid off earlier this year are still looking (even some really talented ones). If I was laid off and my former employer approached me about being rehired I’d insist that all my equity and seniority be restored with the rehire and then thank them for the opportunity. I might keep looking for a new job but no way I’d thumb my nose at being restored to my previous position and unless you happen to be independently wealthy I am guessing most of you wouldn’t either.

Valid points, but not necessarily applicable to those affected.

We have to consider that this move creates an enormous opportunity/vacuum in the charging network space that other CPOs would be stupid not to capitalize on. I can't speak for the environment outside of North America, but I would be highly surprised if some of the growing charging networks are not tripping over themselves to get their hands on these former Tesla employees (maybe not the hardware side, but certainly the planning & logistics folks). It's likely these people have built up a special skill set and network could bring at least part of that Tesla special sauce to the table.

 

[mborkow]

Valid points, but not necessarily applicable to those affected.

We have to consider that this move creates an enormous opportunity/vacuum in the charging network space that other CPOs would be stupid not to capitalize on. I can't speak for the environment outside of North America, but I would be highly surprised if some of the growing charging networks are not tripping over themselves to get their hands on these former Tesla employees (maybe not the hardware side, but certainly the planning & logistics folks). It's likely these people have built up a special skill set and network could bring at least part of that Tesla special sauce to the table.

That’s all true but what they can’t get back (from anyone else) is the years of unvested equity that got cancelled when they were terminated. I suppose that could be compensated by a new employer in the form of a signing bonus but for anyone mid-senior and up, that’d be 100s of thousands of dollars and the typical signing bonus at that level is more like 10s of thousands.

 

[Unclepaul]

I believe that Elon took a hard look at their Supercharger crew and decided they were moving in the wrong direction. Felt it would be better for the company to start over, with a clean sheet. In other cases he has moved people around, fired the poor performing or replaced key staff.
Why does everyone second guess every thing he says and does in a negative light.

 

[RTPEV]

That’s all true but what they can’t get back (from anyone else) is the years of unvested equity that got cancelled when they were terminated. I suppose that could be compensated by a new employer in the form of a signing bonus but for anyone mid-senior and up, that’d be 100s of thousands of dollars and the typical signing bonus at that level is more like 10s of thousands.

Of course we don't know what the T&C's with any potential "rehire" would be. Would they be able to access their unvested interests, or would they have to start over from scratch? While it may seem 'fair' that they could recover their interests, large companies don't necessarily do the 'fair' thing.

 

[elrobrex]

If your partner suddenly dumps you, and quickly begs you to take them back, you have a decision to make. But that's a toxic relationship.

This isn't a romantic relationship. This is a source of income.

Take the money and search for new employment.

 

[elrobrex]

Why does everyone second guess every thing he says and does in a negative light.

He brought this on himself.

 

[gtae07]

If your partner suddenly dumps you, and quickly begs you to take them back, you have a decision to make. But that's a toxic relationship.

Like the song says... got bills to pay, got mouths to feed... if that happened to me I'd probably take the job just to buy time to find another job and get the house packed up and ready to sell. And then I'd walk out. But then, for me changing jobs means moving at least two hours away.


Hopefully the folks who got let go can find jobs quickly and without having to move.

 

[ChooseFreedom]

Probably as nuanced as everything can be:

Musk came up with a test to decide whether or not he should give Brown a raise. He told her to take a two-week vacation and took over her duties himself during that time. When she returned, Musk told her he didn’t need her services.

“Mary Beth was an amazing assistant for over 10 yrs, but as company complexity grew, the role required several specialists vs one generalist," he continued. "MB was given 52 weeks of salary & stock in appreciation for her great contribution & left to join a small firm, once again as a generalist.”

Elon Musk's Long-Time Assistant Exposes The Unjust Reason She Was Fired

Seems like a cruel way to fire her.

www.yourtango.com

That is the single best way to evaluate a position.
He determined the parameters of what he needed had changed. So he adapted to that.
She got a full year severance! So every week prior to a year that she worked elsewhere, she was essentially getting paid twice!
After basically working/on-call 24/7 for a decade, she's got to be relieved to be doing something else.
Again, everyone gets hung up on how Elon operates, but anyone who actually works for him are not surprised. Whether you agree with it or not, that's the culture he has cultivated, and it's not a secret before you take a position.