Stellantis informed employees who work at its Auburn Hills headquarters to stay home indefinitely following the water main break that has jeopardized drinking water for a large swath of Orion Township.
The city of Auburn Hills declared a state of emergency and issued a mandatory boil water advisory after the break was discovered in the early hours of May 10.
Stellanis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in a statement emailed to the Detroit Free Press on May 11 that only employees working in critical or essential areas are expected to report to work starting Tuesday, May 12.
“To continue supporting the State of Emergency issued by the city of Auburn Hills, Stellantis’ Chrysler Technology Center, Chrysler Office Building, Featherstone Road Engineering Center and Quality Engineering Center will reopen for essential operations only until further notice,” the statement read.
The Lapeer Road Marshalling Center also remains closed until further notice, Stellantis also noted, adding that employees who can work remotely should continue to do so.
The water main break is the latest hurdle for automaker employees working from the North American home office.
Stellantis ordered white collar employees in January to return to work five days a week after years of work from home policies stemming from the coronavirus pandemic period.
But since that period began at the end of March, employees have complained about parking citations as well as mysterious illnesses stemming from the older building.
The Great Lakes Water Authority informed residents of Orion Township, the Village of Lake Orion, City of Rochester Hills, and the northern section of Auburn Hills to use water only for absolutely essential reasons such as “hydration, food preparation and basic sanitation.”
Stellantis also said that employees should continue to monitor local news outlets and the company’s intranet for additional updates.
Staff reporter Julie Hinds contributed to this report.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stellantis workers to stay home indefinitely amid water main break
Reporting by Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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