Google, which has invested a huge amount of money in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), has been reducing the number of people in various departments in recent years to reduce the cost of operating the company, including labor costs.
This measure is also interpreted as an extension of cost reduction, as it is not simply abolishing the remote work system, but notifying the restructuring plan, saying that failure to comply with office working conditions could lead to job loss.
CNBC reported on the 23rd that Google is asking some remote workers to voluntarily retire unless they switch to a hybrid method of coming to the office at least three times a week.
Google’s technical service department has informed remote workers to switch to hybrid work or choose voluntary retirement. The People Operations department, also known as the HR team, has announced that remote workers living within a 50-mile radius of the office will be eliminated unless they switch to hybrid by this month.
Google spokesperson Courtney Mencini said that the return of remote workers is done on an individual team basis, not a company-wide policy.
“We have previously stated that face-to-face collaboration is important for innovation and complex problem solving,” Mencini said in a statement to CNBC, adding that “to support this, we have requested the return of remote workers so that some teams can work face-to-face for three days.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, big U.S. tech companies boldly introduced the flexible work system and spread it quickly. However, in recent years, the remote work system has been abolished due to increased productivity through collaboration, and the culture of going to the office has been emphasized.
Google is participating in this trend as the need to reduce costs while expanding its investment in AI grows. After widespread layoffs in early 2023, Google continues to selectively cut jobs in various teams. As a result, Google’s number of employees decreased from 190,000 two years ago to 183,000 last year.
Google offered voluntary retirement programs to employees of platform and device groups in January, and since last month, it has also been proposing voluntary retirement to employees of its human resources department. Platform and device groups have cut jobs for about 20 teams so far this month.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
