Amidst efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs, Alphabet-owned Google has initiated layoffs impacting an unspecified number of employees, a company representative confirmed on Wednesday.
This move marks the latest in a series of cuts at the technology giant, reflecting broader trends within the tech and media industry amidst economic uncertainties.
While the lay-offs are not companywide, affected employees will have the opportunity to apply for internal roles within Google. However, the representative did not disclose the exact number of employees affected or specify the teams involved. It’s noted that a small percentage of the affected roles will transition to hubs where the company is investing, including locations such as India, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dublin.
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The decision to implement layoffs follows a wave of job cuts across Google and the broader industry throughout the year, raising concerns about the potential for further reductions as companies navigate economic challenges.
Speaking on the rationale behind the move, the Google representative highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency and realign resources with the company’s key product priorities. This includes initiatives undertaken by various teams during the second half of 2023 and into 2024 to streamline operations and remove unnecessary layers.
“Throughout the second half of 2023 and into 2024, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers and align their resources to their biggest product priorities,” the Google representative added.
Employees across several of Google’s teams in its real estate and finance departments have been affected by the layoffs. Specifically, the finance teams impacted include Google’s treasury, business services, and revenue cash operations.
In response to these developments, Google’s finance chief, Ruth Porat, reportedly communicated the restructuring efforts to employees via email, according to BI. The restructuring includes plans to expand growth to key locations such as Bengaluru, Mexico City, and Dublin, in line with the company’s strategic objectives.
This announcement comes on the heels of previous job cuts at Google, including significant layoffs across multiple teams in January, which encompassed engineering, hardware, and assistant teams. These moves align with the company’s focus on investment and the development of artificial intelligence offerings, as indicated by CEO Sundar Pichai earlier in the year.
Also on Tuesday, Google fired employees protesting Project Nimbus, resulting in backlash. The dismissal impacted 28 employees who participated in office protests in New York and California. The dismissals come amid ongoing tensions surrounding Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint contract between Google and Amazon providing services to Israel’s government.
According to a Google spokesperson, the employees occupied Google offices in Sunnyvale, California, and New York City, protesting against Project Nimbus.
The spokesperson stated, “Physically impeding other employees’ work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and we will investigate and take action.”
The terminated employees have been placed on administrative leave, with their access to company systems cut off.
Nine workers were arrested after they refused to vacate the offices, with five arrests occurring in Sunnyvale and four in New York. Charges of criminal trespassing have been brought against the protesters, according to authorities.
Chris Rackow, Google’s head of security, described the protests as “extremely disruptive” and stated that they “made coworkers feel threatened” in an internal memo.
The protests stem from discontent surrounding Project Nimbus, which provides artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to Israel’s government and military. More than 100 people, including Google employees, protested the project outside the company’s New York office in 2022, following the resignation of a Google employee who had spoken out against it.
The latest protests were organized by the tech group No Tech for Apartheid, which campaigns for the cancellation of Project Nimbus, alleging that the contract enables the Israeli government to surveil and displace Palestinians. The contract drew additional scrutiny after Hamas launched a series of attacks on Israel in 2021, resulting in significant casualties.
Google has defended its involvement in Project Nimbus, stating that the contract serves Israeli government ministries operating within the company’s Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy. The tech giant asserts that the work is not directed at highly sensitive or classified military projects.
Sunnyvale Police Department Captain Dzanh Le reported that between 80 to 90 protesters gathered outside the building in Sunnyvale, with some occupying a room within Google’s complex. Despite multiple requests to leave, the protesters remained, resulting in arrests for criminal trespassing.
The terminations and arrests have sparked criticism, with concerns raised over freedom of expression and Google’s handling of employee dissent.