Melissa Atkins Quoted in Reuters

Obermayer labor and employment partner Melissa Atkins was quoted in Reuters in connection with Elon Musk’s plan to “significantly” increase childcare benefits at his companies, including Tesla Inc. The article, titled “Elon Musk plans to ‘significantly’ increase childcare benefits at his firms,” published on July 8, 2022, raises concerns that Tesla lags behind other U.S. tech companies and U.S. automakers in terms of the representation of women. Further, Musk’s recent return-to-office order for employees could further undermine the representation of women, who are open to the flexibility in working from home. He told employees of both Tesla and SpaceX to work in the office at least 40 hours a week or leave, which is in contrast to those of many tech companies and automakers.

“Even though the policy’s neutral on its face, it could have a discriminatory impact on women and disabled people,” shared Melissa, who represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law.