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Volkswagen Fires 548 in First Half as Absenteeism Crackdown Escalates

Management frames the crackdown as a response to costly absenteeism.

Overview

  • An internal disciplinary report records 2,079 formal warnings issued worldwide in the first half of 2025.
  • More than 300 dismissals at the VW core brand were carried out at six German sites in Wolfsburg, Braunschweig, Emden, Hannover, Salzgitter and Kassel, largely over unexcused absence.
  • An intranet notice warns that repeat unexcused absence can lead to immediate termination, with VW labor law chief Volker Fuchs stressing the breach of duty to perform.
  • The company expects further dismissals in the triple‑digit range later this year tied to excessive absenteeism, according to internal information reported by the outlets.
  • VW cites roughly €1 billion a year in absenteeism costs and is tightening enforcement as it navigates a roughly 30% first‑half profit drop and a plan to cut 35,000 German jobs by 2030.