Google’s layoffs shock long-term workers.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has announced the layoff of 12,000 employees, or 6% of its global workforce. All regions and divisions will be affected by the layoffs, but recruiting teams are expected to suffer the most.
Sundar Pichai, the company’s CEO, explained that during the pandemic, there was more demand for the company’s products. As a result, the company’s headcount has increased rapidly over the past two years. However, the business is currently confronted with “a different economic reality.”
The employees affected by the layoffs, many of whom had worked for the company for a number of years and accomplished a lot, have been surprised and disappointed by the news.
Richard Hay, a Google Engineer with 15.5 years of experience who was involved in major projects like Firehose Deployments, Watchtower Development & Deployment, and the EPC Ops support of Starlink ramp-up from under 1,000 terminals to over 120,000 in 2021, is one of the affected employees.
Another worker, Justin Moore, who had worked for the company for more than 16.5 years, was informed of his layoff at 3 a.m. by an automated account deactivation.
Not only are the employees affected by the layoffs hurt, but they also show how the tech industry is being affected by the ongoing economic downturn. However, it also emphasizes the job market’s uncertainty and fragility, even for successful individuals.
Alphabet will provide affected U.S.-based employees with 16 weeks of severance pay in response to the layoffs, with an additional two weeks for each year worked at the company. Outplacement support and career coaching will also be provided by the company to assist employees in adjusting to new positions.
Numerous businesses are likely to face similar decisions as the tech industry continues to navigate the economic reality of the pandemic. It will be crucial for them to ensure that they are providing adequate support for the employees who are affected by layoffs.
