"We Were Shocked," Says Tesla Employees

To me, there is a constant message any time we read about any company making job cuts. Your job is not guaranteed, so when you get your paycheck, don't act like it is.

It sounds harsh, but it's also the reality. 

Elon Musk recently announced major workforce cuts in his EV Supercharger division which will affect roughly 500 people. "Everyone was in complete shock," a source told the media.

I get it. It's always painful when you are suddenly left to fend for yourself. And even though, in this case, charging has become a big part of Tesla's business strategy, even that doesn't guarantee your job. Businesses, many people forget, are not in business to employ people. They employ people because they are in business, and in order to maintain certain workforces, they need to make a profit that supports it—and really, their obligation is to ensure that shareholder's investments are managed well.

As I recently wrote in Are We Shooting Ourselves in the Foot On Purpose?, "Turn on the news for mere minutes and one story after another will be told about layoffs, displaced workers, sunk pensions, and shops moving overseas. It's not a conspiracy. It's not a big secret. It happens every single day, and it has been happening since workers became workers."

So many days you'll hear people say, "Live today like it's your last day." All it means is, make it count or make the most of it.

Why not spend every paycheck like it's your last?

It simply means you are prepared for what's likely and inevitable so when the time comes, you're less shocked. When you understand that jobs are not forever, it changes the way you think about each day you spend on the job.

Granted, in the case of the Tesla employees, they may be more shocked because EV Supercharging is such a large part of their business that they felt more "secure." But that's a perspective that comes from being in a different position in the business, and for that reason it is difficult to understand that the strategy hasn't changed, only who will be involved in it has.

I remember a time when I worked for a corrugated box manufacturer who had a specialty machine which made a nearly exclusive and patented triple wall large box. It gave employees a feeling of confidence that was unfounded.

"We've got that machine. Our jobs aren't going anywhere," they thought.

"Guys," I said, "It's only bolted to the floor, but those bolts aren't permanent. They can move that machine anywhere they want or sell the patent to someone else."

I just think that people should be constantly aware of the realities we face every single day of our lives, and one of them is the potential to be laid off, for any reason, at any time. Survival is about making sure you are prepared when things happen.

You can still be shocked. But at least you've got some protection.

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