Posted on 06/20/2022 11:22:16 AM PDT by libh8er
Tesla has laid off both the President of its LGBTQ+ community and a lead involved in diversity and inclusivity programs at the company.
While they were let go as part of a broader wave of layoffs, it comes amid several comments Tesla CEO Elon Musk made, concerning what he describes as the “woke mind virus.”
Earlier this month, we reported on Musk telling Tesla executives in an email that they need to cut 10% of the workforce and pause hiring due to having a “super bad feeling” about the economy.
Later, the CEO has decided to clarify the Tesla layoffs in an email to all employees. He claimed that the 10% reduction would be for “salaried headcount” due to Tesla becoming overstaffed following a long growth phase.
Tesla ramped up the layoffs last week, and we reported that unlike what Musk said, they did include hourly employees.
Now we learn that many employees involved in diversity and inclusivity programs were part of the layoffs, including the President of Tesla’s LGBTQ+ community and a lead involved in diversity and inclusivity programs at the company.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Bobby Berretta-Paris was let go last week. Berretta-Paris was a 5-year veteran at Tesla. He was hired as a recruiter and promoted 3 times over his 5-year tenure at Tesla. He was also the volunteer President of LGBTQ+ at Tesla.
Sources also told Electrek that a software engineer who had been working at Tesla for four years during which she was promoted three times – most recently as senior software engineer in charge of naming conventions in Tesla’s vehicle UI team. (Update: we removed her name.)
The engineer also happened to volunteer as a Diversity and Inclusion Leader and was involved in employee protection when it comes to issues of diversity and inclusion.
Berretta-Paris and the software engineer involved in the didn’t respond to request for comments.
The layoffs of those diversity leaders at Tesla come amid CEO Elon Musk making several comments about what he calls “the woke mind virus,” which he believes is “destroying civilization.”
The CEO never elaborated on what he meant by “woke mind virus.” While the word “woke” originally represented someone who is alert to societal injustice, it has now mostly been co-opted by the right to mock progressive activism or more extremist left-wing ideas.
Musk never used the word publicly until the last few weeks, around the time that he started to get more political and declared that the Democratic party is “the party of hate” and will be voting Republican going forward.
Electrek’s Take
Now it could be a coincidence that many people involved in what some could describe as “wokeness” at Tesla were part of the layoffs, but it is certainly not a good look when some of the top people involved in diversity programs are laid off amid Musk’s comments on “woke.”
Musk’s recent comments mimick many in the right about concerns regarding “woke ideas” inflitrating the tech industry. I wouldn’t be surprised if Musk sees that happening at Twitter and would be taking steps to prevent it from happening at Tesla.
As a progressive person myself, I’ll be the first to admit that there are some more extreme progressive ideas that are problematic and worth keeping an eye on, but diversity is certainly not one of them as long as it doesn’t overide competence.
I sincerely hope that people at Tesla who leaned on those programs are still going to be able to in the future.
Good. Better: abolish the “diversity”, “inclusion”, and “equity” programs entirely.
He allowed it to happen in his company. Now he’ll get attaboy points for causing AND curing his problem.
For his next act, he will stop punching himself in the face.
Anyone holding a neo-marxist, woke ideology of any kind is a parasite on any organization, certainly any productive one.
They only exist almost exclusively in government (and because of government) because government (certainly US government anyway) has access to printed money and unlimited debt.
Wow. That is the entire POINT of "diversity" is to override competence. Color/Race/Gender/Ethnicity ALL override "competence" in a diversity driven workplace.
Astonishing.
Diversity Inclusion and Equity departments HARM the bottom line of any company.
every company, business and church in America needs to be doing the same thing!
a total purge of woke people.
[[So are Progressives saying that gay activists should be immune to routine layoffs because of their sexual preference?]]
Yes they are- and if they get their way- they will make it a ‘hate crime’ to fire any gay or trannie employee
Elon not going to play games with the Wokeism. Bet.
The man has hundreds if not thousands of peeps he can pull from prolly more qualified to take their jobs. The woke folks better come to grips quickly.
I did not know that President of LGBTQ+ is a real title. How many LGBT+ units did they deliver last quarter. It sounds like that position is a highly protected job with tenure. This article seems to think that President of LBGQ+ is a lot like a college professor. They can’t be fired unless they say something conservative.
It’s going to be fun next Supreme Court term when the Court shoots down hiring preferences in the name of “diversity.”
You bring up a good point. I wonder how litigious activism fairs during a recession or depression. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to make sure that the lawyers are taken care of.
“Honey, let’s not go out, tonight. I want to write that check to the ACLU.”
Now we learn that many employees involved in diversity and inclusivity programs were part of the layoffs,
This is how Intel was destroyed starting in 2009.
Obama got a radical in to head HR and they hand picked more radicals.
Hopefully, Pat Gelsinger can clean house of the activists and get back to what it does best.
Fast chips!
“senior software engineer in charge of naming conventions in Tesla’s vehicle UI team. (Update: we removed her name.)”
Lol. Middle management bloat of there ever was. You don’t pay someone senior engineer salaries to invent names.
Firing the LGBTQ and DIE representatives during pride month takes some brass ones...
Companies now need to recruit employees who get the most work done for profits while avoiding wasting time and money on narrow interest social pushes. During a tight money period, companies that focus on production and profit will tend to prevail over competition.
“...the layoffs, including the President of Tesla’s LGBTQ+ community”
He is earning points with me.
Their business is making cars to make money, doing anything else is wasting shareholder assets.
While bobby-whatever is looking for a new job he is free to support whatever he wants to on his own time with his own money.
“Bobby Berretta-Paris”
No one with a hyphenated name, should ever be hired for a corporate position, like that. I can just imagine (no, didn’t look) what that leftist/socialist/communist/ Marxist creature looks and sounds like. Bye, scumbag!
Who wants to buy a car that is going to take it in the rear end?
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