I can tell you, knowing people who worked with the guy since the original launch of the Model S, he’s always been like this. He’s always been a loud mouthed idiot, and he’s always been insanely unpredictable. The only thing that changed has been his PR team and personal handlers, and how much the news media is willing to focus on how much of a POS the dude is.
I’ve been hybrid even during COVID, because sometimes I have to go in and test, but recently there’s been a mandatory RTO push, and it’s absolutely absurd thinking about all the work I could be doing between getting ready to head out the door and getting to the office. It’s straight up 2+ hours of wasted productivity any day I could have been WFH but decide to go into the office.
We even had people showing hard data their teams are less productive in-office, but I shit you not, management just said “They feel like it’ll be better”. Literally managing based on feelings > facts, which I’m sure our shareholders would love if they found out.
Because while you’re commuting, that’s effectively “company time” you’re not getting paid for. If you work 8 hours a day and your commute is half an hour each way, then you’re taking 9, not 8 hours a day out of your schedule for work. That’s an extra ~250 hours a year you’re taking out of your own time for work, whereas with an “instant commute” WFH, the moment you logoff becomes personal time again.
And now we’re inventing the shittiest “rail line” between Ann Arbor and Detroit on 94. All the hassle and expense of rail travel, with none of the efficiency!