Google Employees Unite Against Job Insecurity
As the tech giant prepares for expected cost cuts this year, over 1,250 Google employees have signed an internal petition titled “Job Security” to express their concerns about the company’s instability and its impact on their work.
A Year of Turmoil
The past year has been marked by embarrassing product rollouts, worker protests, and continued rounds of layoffs that have affected employee morale. The petition is the latest sign of employee unrest, as workers feel insecure about their jobs despite the company’s strong financial position.
CFO’s Cost-Cutting Plans
New CFO Anat Ashkenazi has made it clear that driving cost cuts is a top priority, particularly as the company expands its spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure in 2025. This has sparked an internal reaction, with employees pressing executives for clarity on the plans.
Demands for Transparency and Fairness
The petition calls on Google CEO Sundar Pichai to offer buyouts before conducting layoffs, guarantee severance to laid-off employees, and refrain from using low performance review ratings to justify removing employees. The petition also asks for guaranteed severance equivalent to what was offered in January 2023, when Google laid off over 12,000 employees.
Performance Review Concerns
The company’s annual performance review process, known as Google Reviews and Development (GRAD), is expected to release its results soon. Employees are concerned that the company may use forced rating distributions to justify removing certain employees, despite the company’s claims that every employee is rated on their performance and impact based on their role, level, and expectations.
A Call to Action
The petition is a call to action for Google’s leadership to address the concerns of its employees and provide a more stable and secure work environment. As the company navigates its cost-cutting plans, it remains to be seen how it will respond to the demands of its employees.
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