Billionaire Elon Musk has ordered Tesla staff to return to the office, telling workers they need to be in the office for a minimum of 40 hours per week - or quit.
The famous entrepreneur's demands were revealed after an email he sent round this week was leaked to social media.
Musk, 50, says the company will assume anyone who doesn't show up to the office has "resigned".
In an email to staff, he wrote: "Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla.
"This is less than we ask of factory workers.
"If there are particularly exceptional contributors for whom this is impossible, I will review and approve those exceptions directly.
"Moreover, the "office" must be a main Tesla office, not a remote branch office unrelated to the job duties, for example being responsible for Fremont factory human relations, but having your office be in another state."
In a follow up email to staff titled "to be super clear", the business magnate said people shouldn't be working in a "pseudo office", adding: "If you don't show up, we will assume you have resigned."
The second email continued: "The more senior you are, the more visible must be your presence.
"That is why I lived in the factory so much - so that on those on the line could see me working alongside them.
"If I had not done that, Tesla would long ago have gone bankrupt.
"There are of course companies that don't require this, but when was the last time they shipped a great new product? It's been a while.
"Tesla has and will create and actually manufacture the most exciting and meaningful products of any company on Earth.
"This will not happen by phoning it in."
When questioned about the leaked emails on Twitter, with one user asking about workers who thought remote working was an "antiquated concept", Musk replied: "They should pretend to work somewhere else".
He said he will review and approve any cases where staff cannot meet the minimum number of hours.
But many social media users weren't impressed with Musk's plans to drag workers back into the office.
One user wrote: "My ancestors literally fought and died for a 40hr work week, I refuse to sully their memory by working more than that."
While another added: "Notable 'hard worker' has thoughts on people not being born rich."
Twitter user Grady Booch said: "Another reason why I would never want to work for you, nor would I recommend to any of my colleagues that they work for you either."
Another person added: "You’re going to alienate talent. If the other company offers remote then the most marketable people will go there.
"The people who will settle for bullies are the people who have nowhere else to go."
Health experts may agree with Musk - who launched a bid to buy Twitter last month - claiming there are a number of negative impacts on the body when working from home.
