Volkswagen Fires Over 500 Employees For Misconduct In 2025, Issues 2,000 Warnings: “They Absent Themselves From Work As If It Were A Holiday”

Amid The 30% Drop In Profits And After The Historic Diesel Scandal, Volkswagen Tightens Labor Rules, Fires Hundreds And Imposes More Than Two Thousand Warnings At Units Spread Across The World

The Volkswagen announced in 2025 the dismissal of 548 employees globally, citing violation of the company’s internal rules. In addition to the dismissals, another 2,079 employees received formal warnings for behavior deemed unacceptable.

The main infractions reported by the automaker are related to unjustified absences, an issue that the company has been addressing with zero tolerance. As highlighted by the German newspaper BILD, in Germany alone, more than 300 employees were laid off from local units this year.

Company Takes A Tough Stance Against Unjustified Absences

The automaker announced that repeated absences without justification may lead to immediate dismissal. The message was reinforced by Volker Fucks, Head of Labor Law at the VW Group, who stated:

“Anyone who does not report to work without justification is violating their performance obligation.”

The statement was seen as a warning to the more than 560,000 employees of Volkswagen worldwide. Although the numbers may seem significant, the company itself emphasized that the sanctions correspond to only 0.5% of the global workforce.

Diesel Scandal Still Haunts Volkswagen’s Image

According to information released by international outlets and the portal Carros.IG, the company’s decision to make the numbers of warnings and dismissals public is an indirect consequence of the so-called “Dieselgate”, revealed in 2015.

At that time, Volkswagen was caught using illegal software to manipulate emissions tests on diesel vehicles, which resulted in billions in fines and severely harmed its reputation. By disclosing these data in 2025, the automaker aims to demonstrate that it does not tolerate any form of internal misconduct.

In addition to the disciplinary issue, the company also faces financial challenges. The Volkswagen reported a 30% drop in profits in the first half of 2025 and has already announced plans to cut 35,000 jobs in Germany by 2030.

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