VW Terminated Hundreds Due to Misconduct, with Numbers Increasing | Carscoops

      The company has let go of hundreds of employees while pausing operations at important German facilities, highlighting the challenges of its most chaotic year to date.

      Volkswagen terminated 548 employees in early 2025, with a sharp rise in dismissals related to misconduct.

      Increasing personnel issues are costing Volkswagen close to €1 billion annually.

      The company intends to boost production of the Golf, Tiguan, and Tayron this year.

      Volkswagen is grappling with a difficult year marked by declining demand, production slowdowns, and impending job reductions, now focusing on its internal dynamics. Employees who fail to adhere to company policies may soon find themselves unemployed, adding to the growing list of those dismissed.

      According to its latest internal discipline report, released every six months, Volkswagen dismissed 548 employees in the first half of 2025 for breaching company regulations. During the same timeframe, 2,079 staff members received formal reprimands, with management anticipating an increase in misconduct-related dismissals by year-end.

      Consequences for Unauthorized Absences

      Unexcused absences appear to be the primary reason for these disciplinary measures. As reported by Bild, the VW core brand alone has already terminated over 300 employees this year across its six major German locations: Wolfsburg, Braunschweig, Emden, Hanover, Salzgitter, and Kassel. This number already equals the total dismissals from the previous year, indicating a rapid acceleration in terminations in recent months.

      In a speech at an event last year, VW brand chief Thomas Schafer stated that absenteeism costs the brand approximately €1 billion ($1.17 billion) each year. Employees have recently been cautioned via VW’s intranet that repeated unexcused absences could result in immediate termination.

      It's important to note that the company employs over 560,000 people globally, meaning the firings represent only a small fraction of its workforce. Nonetheless, it plans to implement significant reductions in the coming years, aiming to cut 35,000 jobs in Germany alone by 2030.

      Production Adjustments

      These layoffs occur as decreasing demand has led the automaker to modify its manufacturing strategies. As reported recently, several VW facilities will halt operations this month, including the Zwickau and Dresden sites, both of which will be offline for a week starting October 6.

      Compounding Existing Issues

      Furthermore, Manager Magazin indicates that the Osnabrück site will also cease operations for a week this month and will be closed at least one day each week until the year's end. The Zwickau and Dresden facilities are responsible for producing several electric vehicles, such as the ID.4 and ID.7, while the Osnabrück plant produces the T-Roc Cabriolet, which is anticipated to be discontinued in 2026.

      On a more positive note, VW is seeing robust demand for the Golf, Tiguan, and Tayron and will introduce additional shifts at its Wolfsburg plant to elevate production through the end of the year.