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Last Updated November 2024

Tesla Global Environmental, Health, Safety & Security (EHS&S) Policy

Mission

Tesla’s EHS&S mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy by safely building, selling, servicing, and delivering all-electric vehicles, and infinitely scalable, clean energy generation and storage products.

Vision

Tesla’s EHS&S Vision is to accelerate to a sustainable tomorrow, being safe, fair, and fun today.

Values

Tesla’s EHS&S values are simple and absolute:

• Do the right thing
• EHS&S is a shared responsibility, and it starts with me
• EHS&S is a part of everything we do

Principles and Objectives

We value and protect people, planet, property, and products by maintaining a safe, healthy, secure, and environmentally conscious workplace without compromise for production or profit. In support of Tesla’s mission and guidelines, anyone performing work for Tesla, whether on behalf of Tesla or at a Tesla location, is expected to incorporate and demonstrate the following EHS&S principles and objectives:

• Value human life.
• Be the conscience of the organization.
• Lead by example.
• Speak up, escalate issues early and loudly.
• Foster a culture of trust and respect.
• Be prepared, aware and ready to respond.
• Comply with laws and regulations.
• Proactively reduce risks.
• Engage with, and encourage participation from, our employees and stakeholders.
• Strive to reduce environmental impact.
• Proactively reduce risks by applying the hierarchy of controls and inherent safety design principles.
• Practice socially and environmentally responsible planning and decision-making.
• Embrace human and organizational performance through learning and continuous improvement.
• Verify and validate controls and safeguards.
• Utilize first principle thinking to solve problems innovatively and quickly.
• Provide transparent reporting.
• Recognize and reward EHS&S excellence.

Tesla Global Human Rights Policy

Introduction and Scope  

The ethical treatment of all people and regard for human rights is core to Tesla’s mission of a sustainable future for all. This Global Human Rights Policy (“Policy”) is applicable to both our own operations and our supply chain, and includes the communities impacted by our operations and our supply chain. We take seriously our responsibility to respect human rights and expect those with whom we work to do the same.

This Policy is the formalization of our commitment to uphold, respect, and embed human rights and the values they represent throughout our business as we accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Tesla recognizes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (“UDHR”), which focuses on dignity, respect, and equality, without discrimination, for all people. We also utilize the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.  

The Policy outlines the core standards and expectations we have established for our facilities, business units, employees, suppliers, and business partners in the area of human rights. Tesla defines our suppliers as all companies or individuals involved in a supply chain producing goods and services for Tesla, whether directly or indirectly, as well as their personnel, agents, and subcontractors, referred to hereinafter as “suppliers.” The Policy is incorporated into our Tesla Code of Business Ethics, and all Tesla employees and contractors are required to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this Policy. It is also embedded in our Supplier Code of Conduct, and we expect our suppliers and business partners to implement effective systems to adhere to this Policy.  

Where national law and international human rights standards differ, we will follow the higher standard; where they are in conflict, we will adhere to national law, while seeking ways to respect international human rights to the greatest extent possible.  

Governance

Tesla periodically reviews and updates its Policy and associated processes. Every two years, Tesla engages in a holistic review of our Policy with cross-functional representatives from Compliance, Community Relations, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Employee Relations, Environmental Health & Safety, Global Trade Compliance, Human Resources, Investor Relations, Legal, Public Policy & Business Development, Product Safety, Responsible Sourcing, Sustainability, and Supply Chain to keep the policy up-to-date and reflective of Tesla’s growing operations.

Our work to respect human rights throughout our supply chain is overseen internally by executive representatives from Supply Chain, Investor Relations, and Public Policy & Business Development. We also engage external groups on a regular basis to provide feedback on our approach to responsible sourcing.

Commitment

Tesla is committed to upholding and respecting all internationally recognized human rights and the values they represent throughout our direct operations and supply chain – including with respect to our employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, and the communities in which we live and operate. We seek to avoid causing or contributing to actual or potential adverse human rights impacts, and we expect our suppliers to also support and promote these values in their own operations and those of their suppliers.

Assessing and addressing human rights risks is an ongoing effort that involves engaging with and incorporating input from external stakeholders of potential impact, including stakeholders impacted by our operations and our supply chain, as well as reviewing and updating our policies and procedures where necessary. With this understanding, Tesla is committed to addressing any potential adverse human rights impacts. We seek to remedy adverse impacts, track and measure our progress, and report our findings.

In fulfilling our responsibility to respect human rights, we are committed to implementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We conduct human rights due diligence to identify risks and work to mitigate them. We acknowledge that some groups are more vulnerable than others; our Policy and associated efforts take care to respect those most vulnerable or marginalized.

Salient Human Rights Issues

The following topics are based on recognized international human rights standards and reflect several salient human rights issues we have identified in our operations and supply chain. Tesla regularly updates this list as regional contexts change or as we update our Policy. Our respect for human rights is not limited to these topics.

Health and Safety

(Aligned with UDHR Article: 3)

Health and safety are fundamental values at Tesla. Our efforts to ensure a healthy and safe workplace reinforce our commitment to human rights.

Tesla is committed to conducting all aspects of business in a manner that protects the safety and health of employees, contractors, customers, suppliers, and the public. We strive to minimize injuries and illnesses, as well as property loss or business interruption caused by accidents, fire, or other hazards.

Tesla is dedicated to providing quality equipment, access to clean water, safe tools, and necessary protective equipment to keep employees safe. Employees engage to identify potential hazards, anticipate exposures and risks, and act to eliminate or control potential workplace hazards. Tesla provides ongoing safety information, training, and the necessary resources to maintain a safe working environment. Employees are empowered to stop work if unsafe conditions or behaviors are observed, so corrections can be made to complete the job safely.

We expect all employees to cooperate fully with our safety measures and actively participate to keep each other safe. Our employees are encouraged to communicate with each other and with management when unsafe acts are observed or if there is potential for an unsafe working environment. Through personal commitment and excellent communication, we strive to maintain a safe and productive place to work. Tesla will not compromise any health or safety requirements for profit or production. This is reinforced by the principles and objectives detailed in our Global Environmental, Health, Safety & Security (EHS&S) Policy.

Tesla similarly requires its suppliers to ensure that their employees and contractors are provided with a healthy and safe work environment. Suppliers are required to comply with working hours as defined in our Supplier Code of Conduct. Overtime work must be consensual, and in compliance with local laws, be paid at a premium rate. Tesla’s Supplier Code of Conduct provides additional guidance on our expectations and regulatory compliance procedures for supply chain health and safety.

Forced Labor, Modern Slavery, and Human Trafficking

(Aligned with UDHR Articles: 4, 5, 23)

Tesla recognizes the International Labour Organization (ILO) definitions for forced labor, modern slavery, and human trafficking and has zero tolerance for any form of such abuses, including debt bondage, indentured labor, and compulsory prison labor. We are committed to ensuring that our supply chain – from raw materials to final products – is free of such abuses.

We establish comprehensive policies, monitor our suppliers, and put in place robust procedures to help ensure that no one is forced to work. We take a systematic approach to identifying and addressing risk in the supply chain and utilize the indicators of forced labor defined by the ILO. We maintain awareness of geographic risks, labor trends, and other factors through sources such as industry groups, NGOs, suppliers, workers, reputable media sources, and other stakeholders. We train employees on forced labor awareness and prevention and require suppliers to help in our efforts to end abuses.

We will not tolerate any transporting, harboring, recruiting, transferring, or receiving of persons by means of threat, force, coercion, abduction, or fraud for labor or services. No worker may be coerced to work or subjected to physical punishment or threats of violence or other forms of physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal abuse as a method of discipline or control. We also do not allow any direct or indirect control tactics, including threats, corporal punishment, or economic, emotional, or familial abuse at our facilities nor in the facilities of our suppliers.

All workers have the right to freedom of movement, and the conditions of employment must not restrict their movement through the retention of identity papers, holding of deposits, accommodation requirements, or any other action aimed at restricting worker mobility.

In line with the Employer Pays Principle, no worker should be required to pay recruitment or other similar fees to secure or retain their employment. Tesla does not allow the use of recruitment fees or other related fees for employment such as application, recruiting, hiring, placement, or processing fees, from workers. The cost of recruitment should be borne by the employer. If workers are found to have paid recruitment fees or other related fees for employment, Tesla requires the reimbursement of the full cost of such fees.

Where we find any violation of our policies, we take swift action to remedy the issue and improve supplier operations and conditions for workers. Tesla considers indicators of Forced Labor to be the highest severity of non-conformances and thereby prioritizes responding to these risks. Generally, we work in partnership with suppliers to review root causes, and as appropriate, approve plans to improve, remediate, and monitor evidence of improvement and worker engagement. There are certain gross violations of human rights where Tesla will disengage with a supplier and not re-engage until evidence of remediation is provided and the supplier has strengthened its management system to prevent future violations.

Child Labor and Young Workers

(Aligned with UDHR Articles: 4, 5, 25, 26)

We respect the rights of children and young workers. Tesla prohibits the use of child labor in our operations and supply chain. Tesla strictly follows local and national laws restricting the employment of underage workers. Regardless of local laws, no workers at a facility or location that provides materials or services for Tesla or Tesla products may be under the age of 15. We require our suppliers and third-party recruitment services to verify the age and identity of workers at the time of hiring to ensure that they comply with the International Labour Organization requirements for minimum age for admission to employment and are therefore entitled to work. We also require suppliers and third-party recruitment services to have processes in place to responsibly remediate any potential policy violations.

Tesla encourages the development of potential future employees using internships or student worker programs. However, these programs should be designed for the benefit of, and include training for, the students. Participants in such programs may not perform work that is likely to endanger their health or safety, including night shifts or overtime. All participants must be fairly compensated for their work based on local laws.

Should a case of child labor be identified within our supply chain – as defined by local law or younger than 15, whichever is more stringent – Tesla will take immediate action and ensure appropriate remediation, including enrollment of the child in an education program. If workers under the age of 18 (young workers) are found to be involved in hazardous work, they are removed immediately from the situation and provided alternative work that is age appropriate and not hazardous. Tesla is committed to ensuring that no workers under the age of 18 are performing hazardous or harmful work.

In implementation of this policy, Tesla will work to strengthen supplier capabilities, particularly that of small and medium enterprises, to conduct effective due diligence on child labor risks—including the worst forms of child labor.

Respectful Workplace and Equal Opportunities

(Aligned with UDHR Articles: 1, 7, 23)

Tesla is committed to treating everyone with respect by creating and maintaining a respectful and inclusive workplace. In conformance with local law, Tesla respects the right of workers to form and join trade unions of their own choosing or choose to refrain or to form and join other employee representative bodies if applicable, to bargain collectively, and to engage in peaceful assembly as well as respect the right of workers to refrain from such activities.

Tesla recognizes the value of different backgrounds and perspectives in our workforce, and fully promotes equal opportunity for all employees, both current and prospective. Just as we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, national origin, disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or any other characteristic protected by law, regulation or ordinance, we require our suppliers to similarly respect the people in their workforces. Tesla incorporates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) with a human-centered, data-driven approach to enable a respectful workplace and provide equal opportunities. Additional information on our supplier expectations relating to a respectful workplace and equal opportunities can be found in our Supplier Code of Conduct.

Environmental Protection

(Aligned with UDHR Article: 25)

In our own operations and throughout our extended supply chain, Tesla strives to minimize the negative impact to the environment. At Tesla, we recognize that environmental conservation, along with aspects of climate change impacts, renewable energy procurement and electrification, air quality, water stewardship, waste management and recycling, deforestation prevention and biodiversity conservation are each inextricable from human rights. We expect our suppliers to share our goal of recognizing environmental protection as a key principle of a sustainable future. Additional information on our supplier expectations relating to environmental protection can be found in our Supplier Code of Conduct.

Relationship with Communities & Indigenous Rights

(Aligned with UDHR Article: 27)

Tesla is dedicated to being an active member of the communities in which we live and operate. In addition to our ability to create jobs and contribute to local economic and technological advancement, we leverage the value that the relationships in our ecosystem add to the community. We expect our employees, customers, suppliers, and partners to make every effort to continuously improve the positive aspects of their work while reducing any negative impact of their operations on local communities, including environmental, social, cultural, and other quality of life factors. We encourage open stakeholder communication with local communities (e.g. via public information sessions and engagement on an ongoing basis with civil society organizations such as youth clubs or local associations) always with an emphasis to jointly develop projects and activities that support our mission and have a positive impact on our local partners.

Raw material extraction has historically had an adverse impact on the rights of indigenous peoples and communities in the areas in which they operate. For all raw material extraction and processing used in Tesla products, we expect our suppliers to engage with legitimate representatives of indigenous communities and respect their right to grant or withhold free, prior, and informed consent for their operations.

Product Safety

(Aligned with UDHR Article: 3)

Human error is the major factor in over 90 percent of fatal automobile crashes. Automated vehicle safety technology promises a future in which vehicles increasingly help drivers avoid crashes. Tesla has been a driving force in development of these life-saving technologies. Tesla product design and engineering culture is built on a foundation of safety.

Tesla believes that having the option to purchase fundamentally safe vehicles and energy products is a human right; we are committed to innovating, designing, manufacturing, and delivering safe products. Safety informs every decision and has guided our battery module design and manufacturing for vehicle and energy storage applications. But Tesla’s commitment does not stop there. We are striving to continuously learn and improve, through mitigation, control hazards, and innovative practices. For example, innovative use of big data and over-the-air updates allow us to respond to and learn from the experiences of our customers.

Tesla focuses on many aspects of vehicle safety, including: active safety—which can prevent or mitigate foreseeable crashes; passive safety—protecting occupants including children, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road-users when a collision is unavoidable; and post-crash safety—supporting first responders. Our Data Driven Safety program uses vehicles’ suite of sensors to collect real world accident data so teams can identify crash modes not represented in either regulation or safety ratings but may occur in the real world. Although technology today does not provide a means to eliminate all injuries and fatalities, the path we envision is one that significantly reduces highway crashes and mitigates injuries when crashes do happen. Through these lenses of safety, it is our hope to maintain our reputation as the leader in reducing the probability of injury, inside and outside our vehicles. Tesla also promotes safety advances by sharing best practices to inspire the automotive industry.

Tesla designs and tests its energy storage and solar products to ensure they mitigate and control hazards under all conditions. While any product that stores energy, like a battery, can experience a failure, our products have met and exceeded many industry safety standards and have consistently demonstrated through extensive third-party testing that they are some of the safest systems on the market.

Responsible Artificial Intelligence

(Aligned with UDHR Article: 3, 12)

Tesla is committed to the responsible development of artificial intelligence with respect for human rights. In line with our commitment to product safety, our use of artificial intelligence will focus on improving safety for our employees, our customers and the communities where our products operate. Tesla is not developing digital super-intelligence.

In the long term, Tesla recognizes the risk of centralized control of a vast fleet of autonomous vehicles. If ill-intentioned state or non-state actors gain power over such a fleet, this will not accrue to the good of humanity.

Therefore, to serve the best interests of civilization, Tesla believes in a balance between local override capability and centralized control.

Grievance and Remedy

(Aligned with UDHR Article: 8)

Tesla is committed to providing avenues for rights holders and rights defenders to raise potential concerns. We place importance on the provision of effective remedies if a human rights impact were to occur. In such instances, Tesla aims to implement updates to systems, due diligence processes, and practices to prevent similar adverse impacts in the future. As with other processes and systems, Tesla works to continually improve our grievance and remedy processes.

We encourage employees to raise concerns, and Tesla does not tolerate retaliation in any form for good faith reporting or participation in investigations. An employee can raise concerns or complaints to any member of management, Human Resources, Employee Relations, or Legal Compliance. Tesla utilizes a tracking system to document concerns raised by employees to ensure follow-through and resolution. The case management system allows the appropriate teams to review data and consider proactive solutions. Tesla also has an Integrity Line reporting system that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Tesla Integrity Line is a third-party-managed helpline available to employees, contractors, and third parties including suppliers, their employees, community members, and other stakeholders. As a Tesla grievance mechanism that can be used to report concerns anonymously, the Integrity Line is a powerful tool to report concerns relating to illegal conduct, unethical behavior, or human rights violations, including child or forced labor. When a concern is raised through the Integrity Line, Tesla works with stakeholders to address or improve conditions raised, as appropriate to the case. For more information about the Tesla Integrity Line, see our Additional Resources page linked below.

We strive to build the awareness and knowledge of our employees and supply chain workers on human rights, encouraging all to speak up, without retribution, about concerns they may have. We are committed to continually increasing the capacity of our management to effectively identify and respond to concerns.

Tesla seeks to apply leverage and encourage responsible parties to assess conditions and implement corrective actions, even in circumstances where Tesla is not directly linked to an identified adverse impact. We would take action to influence any adverse impacts that could be linked to us and would consider engaging with peers and other partners on collective remedies, including collaboration with suppliers.

We expect our suppliers and their respective suppliers to implement an effective grievance management system for their operations, reaching suppliers’ workers and their legitimate representatives. Suppliers must prohibit retaliation against individuals who raise concerns. Through third-party assessments, we evaluate whether grievance mechanisms and channels for workers to raise concerns are adequate, effective, and accessible. Tesla encourages its suppliers to consult potential or actual users on the design, implementation, or performance of their mechanisms.

In instances where stakeholders prefer mechanisms outside of those operated by Tesla, other external grievance mechanisms are available such as the Responsible Business Alliance’s Grievance Mechanism, the Responsible Minerals Initiative’s Grievance Mechanism, and the non-judicial grievance mechanism operated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development—the OECD National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct.

Transparency and Reporting

As recommended by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we commit to transparent reporting about our efforts and progress. We report our performance publicly in several ways, including in our Impact Report, Modern Slavery, and Conflict Minerals disclosures.

Tesla Integrity Line

The Tesla Integrity Line is a third-party-managed helpline available to employees, contractors and third parties including suppliers, their employees, community members and other stakeholders. The Integrity Line is one of Tesla’s grievance mechanisms that can be used to report concerns, especially those relating to Tesla’s policies against illegal conduct, unethical behavior or human rights violations including child or forced labor.

The Integrity Line is available in approximately 60 languages and is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, allowing anyone to report concerns anonymously and without fear of retaliation. Access the Integrity Line. The use of our Integrity Line does not preclude access to judicial and non-judicial mechanisms.

Tesla employees have a responsibility to maintain trust in Tesla. Employees must report violations of the Code of Business Ethics, Supplier Code of Conduct, Human Rights Policy, other company policies or the law to their manager, Human Resources Partner, Compliance (compliance@tesla.com), Legal, Internal Audit or the Tesla Integrity Line. Intentionally reporting false information is contrary to Tesla’s values and Tesla’s Code of Business Ethics; employees involved in such actions will be subject to appropriate discipline.

When a question or concern is submitted through the Integrity Line, you will receive an access number and create a password. You will be notified of updates through the portal through which you submitted your concern and may be asked to provide additional information after submission. The Integrity Line also offers international numbers if you prefer to submit a concern over the phone. Concerns reported over the phone can be made anonymously as well.

Tesla takes all concerns raised in good faith seriously. All matters are promptly and appropriately investigated by the appropriate team of professionals. Concerns related to responsible sourcing and human rights are directed to Tesla’s Responsible Sourcing team. Tesla’s aim is to acknowledge concerns within 72 hours and resolve cases within 30 days. Some cases may require additional time.

To protect confidentiality and the integrity of the investigative process, information is shared on an “as need to know” basis and careful attention is paid to avoid negatively affecting the person that raised the concern throughout the investigation. There is follow-up in the Integrity Line system so the reporter is made aware that their concern was appropriately addressed and closed. As applicable, we work with stakeholders to address or improve conditions raised.

Tesla does not tolerate retaliation in any form against employees or third parties who report concerns in good faith or participate in investigations. We also expect our suppliers to prohibit retaliation against workers and other stakeholders (including those that represent them) for raising concerns. We treat all individuals with respect.

Tesla Transparency Reports

Below are Tesla’s transparency reports related to responsible sourcing.

Canada Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act Statement

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Last Updated June 2024

Conflict Minerals Report

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Last Updated May 2024

German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act Policy Statement

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  Download PDF (German)

Last Updated October 2023