The story of a former Tesla employee raises the question of whether it is worth spending so much time and energy on the company ?

Billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla is famous for being a demanding workplace. On the career sharing forum Glassdoor, there are many posts showing that employees of this electric car company often work many hours every day and on weekends.

But a recent LinkedIn post from a Tesla employee who lost his job earlier this month is sparking a debate about whether workers should be sacrificing too much for their company.

Specifically, in the post, former Tesla worker named Nico Murillo writes about his dedication to the electric vehicle manufacturer, noting that he slept in his car on weekdays at one time. in 2023 to avoid the 1.5-hour commute to the Fremont, California, factory, allowing for more work time. “I showered at the factory and slept in the parking lot. Dinner was microwaved in the break room,” he wrote.

Then, Murillo wrote, he logged onto his computer at 4:30 a.m. on April 15 and discovered his account had been disabled. He quickly noticed an email that read: “Unfortunately, your position has been eliminated due to a restructuring.” Still, Murillo drove to his office and tried to get in.

“A security guard took my badge and told me I was fired. I sat in the car and couldn’t believe what was happening,” Murillo wrote.

Describing about 5 years working at Tesla, where the most recent position was production supervisor, Mr. Murillo added: “I sacrificed a lot for the company.”

Nico Murillo.

Tesla, which had more than 140,000 workers as of December, is in the process of cutting 10% of its staff as it copes with falling demand for electric vehicles. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said in a memo to employees that the layoffs were necessary to “help us lean, innovate and move toward the next growth cycle.”

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on the post.

However, Murillo’s description of his dedication to Tesla and his sudden firing sparked outrage on LinkedIn, with more than 1,600 comments. Many of them expressed sympathy and shared that they had also gone through similar experiences, which raises the question of whether it is worth spending so much time and energy on employers. Are not?

“After 17 years with the company and one year left until retirement, headquarters in Utah called me to inform me that my position was being eliminated and that I would be leaving the building immediately. “, a LinkedIn member replied to Murillo.

Another commenter added: “Don’t sacrifice your health, time and happiness for any organization because as you can see, they will let you go without any remorse.”

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Murillo said he has no regrets about his time working at Tesla. He said he started at the company in a low-level job making $19 an hour and ended up in a higher-paying position that made him about $120,000 a year.

“Tesla is a great opportunity and I have nothing bad to say about Tesla,” he said. “The company gave me the opportunity to develop my skills, leadership abilities, and then I got to think bigger.”

Murillo also noted that his approach when starting at Tesla was to work hard and try to get noticed by his superiors, which he said paid off with promotions. He recounted that he decided to sleep in his car after working 12, sometimes 13 hours a day because he realized that the long commute left him with only a few hours at home.

Now, Murillo says his next career move also involves his car, a Tesla Model Y. He plans to live in his car for five years to cut down on housing costs. live. He said that would allow him to invest at least 60% of his income in the stock market. His ultimate plan is to retire around age 35, as part of what’s called financial independence, early retirement.

“I have a goal, I have a plan, and it’s going to be an exciting journey. Work hard now so you don’t have to work hard later,” Murillo said.

Meanwhile, layoffs continue to take place at Tesla. Musk wrote in a memo Monday that the company is laying off two senior executives, Supercharger senior director Rebecca Tinucci and new products head Daniel Ho. Tesla is also laying off almost its entire 500-person Supercharger team.

Earlier this month, Tesla reported a sharp 55% drop in first-quarter profits, blamed on a decline in global sales and a price-cutting strategy. Revenue fell 9% to $21.3 billion.

Consumer demand for electric vehicles has slowed amid concerns about cost and usage issues, such as batteries losing efficiency in cold weather. And rival automakers are rolling out their own electric vehicles, shrinking Tesla’s market share.

Of course, for any company facing difficulties, the first strategy to do is to cut costs or restructure. But the experience of workers who lose their jobs can be painful, especially for those who have worked long hours and sacrificed their personal lives, as Murillo expressed.

However, Murillo added that he considers his five years at Tesla to be only part of his story. He wrote: “I’m only 29 years old and have a lot of time left in my career.”