Morale is important, be it for an army or a company. You know, “a happy worker” and all that jazz. Tesla is learning that the hard way, as Elon Musk’s electric automaker and energy company suffers through shutdowns and disillusioned workers. And if a recently leaked recording is any indicator, Musk and company might want to pay attention. 

Tesla shut down Gigafactory Texas, and now a recording suggests that the company has a morale problem

A leaked recording captured the ominous words of a training instructor at Tesla as they spoke to other employees during a session. In the recording, the instructor asked employees whether they ever felt as though they couldn’t “work under these conditions.” “I know I have,” the trainer said in the recording. 

Keep in mind that this is an instructor-level employee, not a technician or salesperson. According to the recording acquired by Business Insider, the instructor asked workers about their feelings on constant changes in the company. 

“A lot of people leave this company, and they have kind of a negative taste in their mouth. They think: ‘Man, it was terrible. It was bad. I got burnt out. I feel like I didn’t get anything done, nobody listened to me,’” the instructor said. 

But the instructor also pressed listeners to take a more active role in the wounded company culture. “Leadership has kind of another level of responsibility for trying to guide and direct that culture. But at the end of the day, it’s us as the people on the ground that are the reflection of the culture,” they said. 

“Hopefully, you can walk out of here with almost a different sense of purpose than just the job itself.” Inspiring words. But without action, they’re just that. Words. 

The recording surfaced just after Tesla shut down Gigafactory Texas, the plant responsible for the Model Y and Cybertruck. During the shutdown, which workers called unusual, the company told the Texas employees that they could remain for training or come in to “clean factory floors.”

It’s not the first time that the electric vehicle maker has exhibited a morale problem. Last month, Tesla sacked an employee after he started a website called “Tesla Employees Against Elon.” The employee called for Elon Musk’s resignation from the helm of the EV automaker and even used his personal Cybertruck as a billboard for anti-Musk sentiments. Bold.