Workers at electric car giant Tesla’s Grünheide factory in Germany are facing a controversial practice of the company: Tesla management, which organises unannounced visits to the homes of employees who frequently receive reports, has received great reaction with this behaviour.

Tesla managers go to workers’ homes!

‘We wanted to appeal to the morals of the workforce. Home visits are not unusual, many companies do this,’ plant manager Andre Thierig defended the practice in a statement to the German Press Agency. The IG Metall union, however, called this approach ‘absurd’ and drew attention to the factory’s already high workload.

According to the Handelsblatt newspaper, at a workplace meeting last week, plant manager Thierig and human resources manager Erik Demmler accused employees of being ‘dishonourable’ for taking frequent reports. These statements caused great discomfort among the employees.

Explaining the reason for the home visits, Thierig said, ‘In the summer months the report rate rose to 15 per cent. There are about 200 employees who have not worked at all this year, and they bring in new reports every six weeks,’ Thierig said. Management claimed that they acted on feedback from other employees who complained about this situation.

However, the union emphasises that this practice is legally and ethically problematic. Labour law experts state that employers do not have the right to interfere in the private life of employees to such an extent.

Tesla’s controversial practice has brought the company’s stance on employee rights back to the agenda. The incident, which caused a great resonance in the German business world, brings new discussions on employee rights and workplace practices.

Experts emphasise that companies should adopt more constructive methods to solve absenteeism problems. Work-life balance, employee motivation and creating a healthy work environment will be more beneficial for both companies and employees in the long run.