Tesla Layoffs A Reminder Of Twitter Sackings

Photo: aspenideas.org

NEW DELHI, (IANS) – In a stark reminder of Twitter (now X) layoffs in 2022 when Elon Musk sacked about 80 per cent of the staff (nearly 7,500 people) after acquiring the social media platform, several high-performers have been asked to go at Tesla and some departments at the electric car company even saw 20 per cent of employees being impacted.

Two high-profile Tesla executives — Rohan Patel, VP of Public Policy and Business Development and Drew Baglino, Tesla’s SVP of Powertrain, and Energy — have also quit.

Patel joined the company in 2017 after working as a “Special Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Sr Advisor for Climate/Energy” in the Obama administration.

He tweeted, “My immigrant parents worked their asses off and as a result I’m the luckiest dude. Lucky to have been a part of @BarackObama’s campaign/administration, and truly honored to have worked at @Tesla

 to positively changing multiple industries. 

My plans are to be a recess monitor for my 2nd grade daughter, practice my violin, go to a bunch of bucket list sporting events and take my very patient wife on some long intended travel.”

Multiple reports said that the layoffs “gutted some departments by 20 per cent and even hit high performers,” and the decision was apparently taken “due to poor financial performance”.

A TechCrunch report on April 16 claimed that layoffs – which impacted more than 10 per cent or nearly 14,000 workers across the US, Europe, and China — were made to cut costs and increase productivity to prepare for its “next phase of growth”.

“Many of the laid-off employees were high performers,” according to the report.

One Tesla manager was quoted as saying in the report: “I lost 20 percent of my team, some really good players too”.

Tesla has just shelved plans to develop a low-cost EV for around $25,000. The company is scheduled to report its first quarter (Q1) earnings next week.