'Showered at factory, slept in parking lot': A Tesla employee's layoff story goes viral

A LinkedIn post from a Tesla worker who was sacked recently has sparked a debate online if employees should make 'sacrifices' for their companies.   "Showered at the factory and slept in the parking lot. Microwaved dinner in the break room," Nico Murillo wrote about his time at Tesla before he was let go, adding that used to sleep in his car on weekdays at one point in 2023 to cut out his 1.5 hour commute. 

Murillo was part of the “more than 10%” of Tesla's workforce that was laid off recently in what is being called as a terrible year for the Elon Musk-run company. The firm's stock price has taken a beating as profit margins sunk to six-year lows amid price reductions that came in response to increased competition and lower demand for EVs.

While the full scale of these new layoffs is unclear, Bloomberg has reported that Tesla’s total headcount reduction that began earlier this month could end up being as high as 20 percent of its workforce, or well in excess of 20,000 employees.

Murillo said he logged into his computer on April 15 at 4:30 a.m. to find his account had been deactivated. He soon noticed an email that read, "Unfortunately as a result, your position has been eliminated by this restructuring." 

Murillo, who was a production supervisor at the company, drove to his office and tried to badge in but was told he was let go. "Sat in my car in disbelief."

"Sacrificed a lot for the company," he wrote in his post. Murillo's post and his abrupt firing sparked an outpouring on LinkedIn, with many asking  if it's worth giving so much time and energy to an employer. "After 17 years with a company and 1 year away from retirement, headquarters in Utah phoned me to tell me my position was being eliminated and I was to vacate the building immediately," a user wrote. "I also gave everything to my job but made too much. Corporations do not care about the people."

Another added, "Do not sacrifice your health, time and well-being for any organization because as you see they will let you go without any remorse."