Concerns Raised Over Employee Sick Leave Policies at Tesla Grünheide

The IG Metall union has brought to light serious allegations against the management of Tesla's facility in Grünheide, asserting that employees face undue pressure regarding their sick leave documentation. A representative from IG Metall indicated that the company frequently questions the legitimacy of employee sick leaves retroactively, often requesting employees to disclose their diagnoses and lifting patient confidentiality.

In response to these allegations, Tesla has characterized the claims made by IG Metall as exaggerated and politically motivated. According to the company, the number of contested sick leaves averages around a dozen each month among a workforce of approximately 11,000, arguing that labeling this as widespread misconduct distorts the reality of the situation.

Moreover, the union has reported instances where Tesla allegedly withheld wages from employees who were on sick leave. In many cases, employees have reportedly not received any salary during their absence, with Tesla claiming overpayments due to mistaken payments made while the employees were on leave. The company has suggested that some employees were encouraged to sign termination agreements to resolve these alleged overpayment issues.

Tesla maintains that its actions are justified, stating that they are dealing with cases where inappropriate salary continuations were made. The company pointed out that there are instances where the Federal Labor Court may suspect that an illness was fabricated, particularly if an employee is sick during a period when a vacation request had been denied. In such scenarios, the company asserts the right to request verification of the validity of sick leave.

IG Metall, however, views these practices as intimidation tactics. The union's representatives have claimed that allegations of overpayment are largely unfounded, leading to an increase in legal disputes regarding these matters. They reported that members at Tesla Grünheide require legal support from the union approximately 21 times more frequently than the average member of IG Metall.

Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, has previously expressed concerns about the high rates of absenteeism among workers at the Grünheide plant. Reports have surfaced regarding unannounced visits by Tesla management to employees who were on sick leave, another contentious issue that has drawn criticism from the union.