Elon Musk says the laptop class needs to get off their moral high horse when it comes to remote work – Fortune
Chief executives, trying to bring employees back to the office, argue that working from home leads to less engaged and less productive workers. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk is going one step further, calling the practice morally wrong in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday evening.
Musk argued that tech workerswhom he characterized as the laptop classwere unfair in demanding privileges that other people, like service workers or factory employees, could not enjoy. Youre going to work from home, and youre going to make everyone else who made your car come work in the factory? Youre going to make people who make your food that gets deliveredthey cant work from home? Musk asked. Does that seem morally right?
People should get off their goddamn moral high horse with the work-from-home bullshit, he said. Theyre asking everyone else to not work from home while they do.
During the U.S.s stay-at-home orders in the early days of the COVID pandemic, white-collar workers were able to hunker down while workers deemed essentialoften lower income or from minority populationshad to venture outside to go to work. In-person work sometimes led to COVID outbreaks in sectors like the meatpacking industry where working from home was not possible.
Musk has long been a critic of remote work. Last June, the Tesla CEO ordered staff back to the office full-time, even as other companies were gingerly tryingand often failingto get employees back in the office just a few days a week. Musk cited fairness in an internal email, noting that asking corporate employees to come in for 40 hours a week was less than [what] we ask of factory workers. (Musk also joked on Twitter at the time that Apple employees who refused to come into the office were being lazy.)
Musk also ended Twitters permanent remote work policy last November, in one of his first acts as the social media companys CEO, though he later softened his demands when more employees than expected were willing to quit over the issue.
Teslas CEO has also praised those who went beyond standard working hours, celebrating employees in the companys Shanghai factory for burning the 3:00 a.m. oil even as U.S. workers are trying to avoid going to work at all, in an interview last May. Teslas Shanghai factory at the time operated under a closed-loop system amidst Chinas tough COVID-prevention regime, with workers sleeping and eating on-site to prevent any disruption to production due to an outbreak.
Musk claimed on CNBC that he took only two or three days off a year, and otherwise did at least some work seven days a week with only six hours of sleep a night. (Musk was seen partying at a music festival in Mexico last weekend hours before a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, joking with the French president that he had to sleep in the car beforehand.)
Bosses and employees are still debating how long workers should be in the office. More companies are pushing for employees to come in at least part of the time. CEOs argue that working from home hurts company culture, and claim that fully remote workers lose opportunities for feedback and mentoring, hurting their growth.
Employee surveys consistently report that workers think they are more productive at home.
The battle may be reaching an equilibrium around hybrid work, where employees come into the office for part of the week. The number of U.S. firms demanding in-person work five days a week dropped over the past three months, from 49% to 42%, according to data from Scoop Technologies, an analytics firm tracking workplace strategies.
Still, companies are trying to get their employees to come in more often.
On Tuesday, AT&T CEO John Stankey told Bloomberg Radio that the telecoms company would require managers to work in-person three days a week, starting as early as July in some cases. The company will also be closing some of its offices, potentially requiring some employees to relocate.
Also on Tuesday, asset manager BlackRock asked employees in an internal memo to start coming in four days a week, up from three, arguing that remote workers missed both teaching moments and market-moving moments while at home.
See you in the office! BlackRock wrote, according to the Financial Times.
See more here:
- The Decline and Fall of Elon Musk - The Atlantic - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk Reacts to Article About His 'Decline and Fall' - Newsweek - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says he's scaling back, but the campaign attacks invoking him may just be getting started: From the Politics Desk - NBC News - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk asked about his political spending. Hear his response - CNN - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says he will lead Tesla for at least another five years - CNN - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Former Elon Musk employees tell BI what he brings to the table as a leader and whether that's what Tesla needs right now - Business Insider - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Opinion: Do you support Elon Musk and his work with DOGE? | The Excerpt - USA Today - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk Gets Rattled by Hard Questions He Can't Answer, Calls Interviewer an "NPC" While Giving One-Word NPC-Like Responses Himself -... - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says he will step back from politics and government - NBC News - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk commits to leading Tesla for next five years - CNBC - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk hits back at Bill Gates' claim that DOGE cuts could lead to the deaths of children - Fortune - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Bessent shouted profanities at a goading Elon Musk in West Wing after Trump told warring pair to have at it - The Independent - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says he will cut back on political spending after heavily backing Trump in 2024 - AP News - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Gulf Deal-Making Spree Also Benefited Elon Musk and His Family - The New York Times - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- How Elon Musk colonised a corner of Texas to build his own space city - video - The Guardian - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Steve Bannon says he knows when things went south between Elon Musk and Trumpworld - Yahoo - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says he's going to reduce his political spending in the future - NBC News - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says Tesla, xAI expect to keep buying chips from Nvidia and AMD - CNBC - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk brushes off fears of Teslas demand problem and denies declining sales theyre fine, dont worry about it - Fortune - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk gushes over Optimus robot as Tesla shows off its ability to learn from humans - Quartz - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk Slams 'Massive Violence' Against Tesla: 'I've Not Harmed Anyone' - Newsweek - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk claims he will step back from political donations in near future - The Guardian - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says Tesla's autonomous taxis will be on Austin streets next month - KUT - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk rips Bill Gates over Epstein ties: I wouldnt trust that guy to baby-sit my kids - New York Post - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk companies see reputations crumble in likely backlash to his work with DOGE - The Independent - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk calls this Tesla product 'the biggest ever' - Times of India - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says he will spend a lot less on politics - Financial Times - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk on AI, Innovation, and Government at QEF - Bloomberg.com - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk says he's committed to being Tesla's CEO in 5 years unless he dies - Business Insider - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Why has Elon Musk disappeared from the spotlight? - Politico - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Elon Musk brought the worlds biggest supercomputer to Memphis. Residents say theyre choking on its pollution - CNN - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Billionaire Barry Diller said Elon Musk's popularity decline was 'swift' since they shared a box at the US Open - Business Insider - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- What Was Elon Musk Trying to Achieve With DOGE? - Foreign Policy - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Microsoft will host Elon Musk's Grok in its cloud - Axios - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- 'Elon Musk finished, done, gone': MAGA insiders reveal how he faded into the background - Times of India - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Opinion | Why Elon Musk flopped with DOGE - The Boston Globe - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Trump World Is Slamming the Door on Elon Musk: People Hate Him - The Daily Beast - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Elon Musk is being sued for allegedly not paying swing state voters the $100 he promised them to sign a petition - Fortune - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- The Trump Administration Leaned on African Countries. The Goal: Get Business for Elon Musk. - ProPublica - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Washington Got the Better of Elon Musk - City Journal - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Elon Musk drops major hint about launch of long-awaited new Tesla service: 'The team and I are laser-focused' - Yahoo Finance - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Elon Musk hires another Tesla board member to cash checks and let him destroy the brand - Electrek - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Elon Musk shows he still has the White Houses ear on Trumps Middle East trip - The Guardian - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Furious Former Twitter Advertisers Tell Elon Musk They've Had Enough of His Tantrums - futurism.com - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Heres What Elon Musk Sees When He Opens X - The New York Times - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Advertisers hit back at Elon Musk's ad boycott lawsuit, saying X disrupted its own business and 'alienated' customers - Business Insider - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Elon Musk says everyone will want their 'personal robot' but warns of 'Terminator'-style risks - Business Insider - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Trump administration to stop US research on space pollution, in boon to Elon Musk - The Guardian - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk may be headed for major legal trouble - TheStreet - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Fox Host Says While Elon Musk Is 'Going Around Cutting Other People's Contracts,' He Keeps His $38 Billion In Government Deals Untouched - Yahoo... - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk Runs Into More Trouble Out West After Trump Exit - The Daily Beast - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- 'Eventually, all life on Earth will be destroyed by the sun': Elon Musk explains his drive to colonize Mars - Space - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Another sign that Trump bromance is hurting Elon Musk and Tesla - NJ.com - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- A lot changed this week at OpenAI. Elon Musk calls it a 'facade.' - Yahoo Finance - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Bill Gates tears into Elon Musk for being involved in the deaths of the worlds poorest children - The Verge - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk warns 'All life on Earth will be destroyed by...' - Times of India - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Tesla worker says he was fired after setting up anti-Elon Musk website - The Independent - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk faces backlash from Austin neighbors over his Fort Knox-style mansion - Fast Company - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk Explains Why He Wants To Colonise Mars: "Life On Earth Will Be Destroyed By..." - NDTV - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk Thinks Tesla Will Be Worth More Than Nvidia. Is It Time to Finally Buy the Stock? - The Motley Fool - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk's Urgent Concern: That the Earth Is Going to Get Swallowed by the Sun - futurism.com - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Trump official who is taking over DOGE from Elon Musk revealed... and Democrats will be furious - Daily Mail - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk's X is looking to boost its image with a new hire - Business Insider - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk is feuding with the neighbors over his dream compound - Yahoo - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Community Complains of Choking Fumes From Elon Musk's AI Fortress - futurism.com - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Elon Musk makes stunning claim after Tesla profits plummet: 'If the ship of America goes down, Tesla will go with it' - Yahoo - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Elon Musk reveals plans to do exactly what hes been warned against - TheStreet - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- DOGE's Loss Of Tesla's Elon Musk Could Be This Group's Gain - Investor's Business Daily - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Here's what Elon Musk said about tariffs and their potential effect on Tesla - CNBC - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Elon Musk Has a Huge Problem With His Republican Fans: They're Ditching Their Teslas - futurism.com - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- A Young Elon Musk Declared Himself Reincarnation of Alexander the Great, New Book Reveals - The Daily Beast - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Elon Musk Is Stepping Back From DOGE. How Much Has It Saved the Government? - Investopedia - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- As Tesla's sales and profit tumble, investors ask Elon Musk to ditch DOGE and return to automaker - CBS News - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- WWE in the West Wing: Elon Musk gets into shouting match with another middle-aged billionaire - AL.com - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Elon Musk and the Dangerous Myth of Omnigenius - Bloomberg.com - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Elon Musk gets government policy ideas from X. Heres how. - The Washington Post - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Video: Peninsula crosswalks hacked with mock messages from Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk - KRON4 - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- How Elon Musk is Using His Political Influence to Secure the Future of X - Social Media Today - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Elon Musk wants control of a public beach. The state of Texas is preparing to give it to him. - KUT - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]
- Donald Trump says Elon Musk hasnt been treated properly but he doesnt need Tesla CEO for anything - AL.com - April 14th, 2025 [April 14th, 2025]