Tesla’s Elon Musk has stirred controversy over the
last month by announcing that all contractors must be vouched for by a
permanent member of staff, or see their contracts terminated the following
Monday.
A general focus on efficiency at the company has led
to specific concerns regarding the use of contractors and sub-contractors –
Musk refers to the problem as a “Russian nesting doll of contractor,
subcontractor, sub-subcontractor etc before you finally find someone doing
actual work”. This is not an uncommon issue for large firms, particularly
hi-tech and high-end engineering companies, but is Musk’s hard-line approach a
little too harsh?