Google has found itself embroiled in a new controversy related to its workforce management. The Mountain View giant is one of the largest tech companies in the world, and almost any professional in the field would love to work there. However, sometimes, changes in conditions and rounds of layoffs take many by surprise. A new report claims that Google has been forcing employees approved for remote work to return to the office in a hybrid approach.
The impact of the 2020 pandemic on the way we work
The 2020 global COVID pandemic changed many things about the way we work. The inability to go out due to fear of contagion and as a safety measure led many companies to adopt a remote work approach. The tech industry was especially active in this. After all, many workers in key positions could work from home using their computers and meet with their peers via video calls.
After adopting this model, workers also made notable changes in their daily lives. For example, many settled in areas far from the company where they worked. However, it seems that the tech industry is making a “correction” to the measures taken during the pandemic. These measures are primarily affecting those who opted for fully remote work. A recent CNBC report claims that Google is one of the companies reversing them in one way or another.
Some of Google’s remote workers being forced to return to the nearest office three times a week
CNBC claims that some employees approved for office work are being forced to return to Google offices. Otherwise, they will not be able to keep their jobs. Several Google units began sending notifications to their workers about this.
This is not the first time that Google has promoted rounds of layoffs or voluntary buyouts. In 2023, the company cut approximately 12,000 jobs in its cloud division. This represented 6% of its total global workforce. Even earlier this year, the firm offered voluntary buyouts to full-time employees in the US. Now, remote workers in some divisions must return to the office at least three times a week.
According to a Google spokesperson, this is not a widespread policy. Courtenay Mencini stated that the decision is being made only in some divisions. “As we’ve said before, in-person collaboration is an important part of how we innovate and solve complex problems,” she said. “To support this, some teams have asked remote employees who live near an office to return to in-person work three days a week.”
Some of the affected departments
The CNBC report mentions the specific cases of three teams within Google. First, Google Technical Services employees are under pressure to either attend work three days a week or accept a voluntary exit package.
The hybrid approach will also be mandatory for People Operations (HR) staff residing within 50 miles of a Google office in the US. Those who live more than 50 miles from an office will be able to keep their current contracts. However, they will remain “stuck” and without any chance of promotion within the company if they don’t switch to the hybrid approach. This is essentially an invitation to return to the office or take the voluntary exit package. HR chief Fiona Cicconi reportedly offered a voluntary exit program to this division in March for US employees.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin notified workers in Google’s AI division in February that they must be in the office every week. Brin stated that the “sweet spot of productivity” was 60 hours per week.
Google has been pushing its voluntary exit program for some time. Last year, the brand combined its hardware and Android divisions. At the time, Rick Osterloh, senior vice president and head of the resulting new division, said the voluntary departure plan might be the best option for those unable to take the hybrid work approach.
2025-04-24 15:07:12