When someone dies on the job, who should pay?
In a tragic case at Tesla’s China plant, one worker’s death led to everyone’s bonus being docked. Some employees were outraged. Others blamed the system. Paul Cardinal dives into the nuances.
Was it fair? Was it cruel? Or was it exactly what the bonus policy said would happen?
The bonus system valued safety—but only as 10–20% of the total score. Cardinal calls out this hypocrisy: “If safety is truly the top priority, why does it get such a small slice of the pie?”
Incentives shape behavior. And when bonuses depend on perfect records, people hide problems instead of solving them.
This isn’t just about math. It’s about ethics.
