Tesla is dealing with a backlash from staff at Gigafactory Shanghai who’re complaining about their efficiency bonuses having been lower reportedly due to an unintended dying on the manufacturing facility earlier this yr.

Gigafactory Shanghai has change into a crucial asset for Tesla.

The manufacturing facility was in a position to shortly ramp up manufacturing to change into Tesla’s highest output manufacturing facility with a capability north of 750,000 electrical autos per yr.

The effectivity of the plant additionally enabled the automaker to revenue from excessive margins final yr and allowed for room to implement value cuts earlier this yr.

By most accounts, the manufacturing facility is performing extraordinarily effectively, which is why some staff are voicing their issues that their efficiency bonuses have been lower this quarter.

These Tesla staff have been voicing their issues on Chinese language social media and even on Twitter, which is formally blocked within the nation:

In line with a report from Reuters, Tesla staff have been informed that their efficiency bonuses could be lower and the explanation given to them was “because of a security accident” on the manufacturing facility throughout the first quarter.

The report hyperlinks the accident to the dying of a Tesla employee on the manufacturing facility’s wielding workshop on February 4 that has been reported to the native Pudong authorities.

A authorities investigation concluded that the deceased employee was instantly accountable for the accident, however that Tesla’s security administration additionally “not directly contributed to the accident.”

It’s not unusual in China to have compensation lowered due to a security incident, however it’s usually linked to a security bonus and never a efficiency bonus.

The efficiency bonus that was lower was reportedly value round 2,000 yuan ($291 USD).

Electrek’s Take

Earlier than you ask why all of the fuss for lower than $300 in bonuses, needless to say Tesla Giga Shanghai manufacturing staff earn round 110,000-120,000 yuan (~$16,000 USD) a yr, together with bonuses and extra time pay, in keeping with a recruitment submit.

Subsequently, it does make a giant distinction. And sure, it’s unusual to scale back the efficiency bonuses over a security accident, particularly because the plant achieved file efficiency.

We don’t have the precise circumstances of the lethal accident, however usually work accidents occur extra typically when an organization pushes staff arduous to realize larger efficiency.

Whereas clearly nobody needs to incentivize poor security resulting in dying, additionally it is a bit counterintuitive to incentivize them to realize larger efficiency after which penalize them once they succeed however have been targeted so arduous on efficiency that it might have led to questions of safety.

In the event that they wish to put their cash the place their mouth is, they need to incentivize security with a security bonus that’s larger than the efficiency bonus.