Under pressure from government investigators in the US and abroad, the company implemented the program to entice employees to come forward with information relevant to the inquiries, according to a Reuters report that cites German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
Any lower-level employees involved in the scandal will not be fired and have been promised immunity from damage claims if they contribute to the investigation, however higher-paid managers and executives cannot take advantage of the program.
Notably, VW is said to have set a deadline of November 30 for the program. The company has publicly called for patience, arguing that efforts to bring offending vehicles into compliance have taken highest priority.
A protracted investigation is viewed as a long-term threat to VW’s recovery from the scandal, potentially causing more damage to the brand’s public image. Until a full explanation is made public, the company also leaves itself open to accusations of intentional evasion.
A few engineers are said to have already admitted to participating in the emissions-cheating scheme. Talking to German press, several employees accused executives and managers of setting ‘unattainable’ goals that could only be accomplished by an emissions defeat system. The claims are corroborated by separate reports detailing a culture of “fear and intimidation” permeating the management structure, enforced from the top down by former chairman Ferdinand Piech.
Leave a Reply