If that were so obviously true as you make it out to be, VW wouldn’t have <i>needed</i> to even offer this “amnesty” to begin with – employees would have felt free to come forward without fear of being fired.  Since VW <i>did</i> offer this “amnesty”, this is clearly not the case.  Therefore, somewhat paradoxically, since VW <i>have made</i> the offer, it is an empty one.