Over 1,400 Google employees signed a petition this week calling for more job security and asked the company to implement buyouts, or financial incentive packages to leave the company voluntarily, instead of resorting to mass layoffs.
Now, Google appears to be taking them up on their advice, beginning with a buyout.
Google senior vice president Rick Osterloh sent a memo to all staff on the platforms and devices (P&D) team on Thursday morning informing them about a “voluntary exit program.” All employees in that division were given the option to leave Google on their own in exchange for a severance package of undisclosed value.
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“The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit program that provides US-based Googlers working on this team the ability to voluntarily leave the company with a severance package,” Osterloh wrote in the memo. He said that the exit program could benefit those who might not be passionate about the team’s mission of “building great products, with speed and efficiency” or those facing difficulty with their roles.
Google confirmed that the voluntary exit program was happening to 9to5Google. The buyout only applies to U.S. employees in the P&D division, not to other groups like Search or AI.
Google created the P&D unit in April 2024 by merging the team responsible for devices and services, including Pixel smartphones and Chromebooks, with the platforms and ecosystems team, which handled Android and Chrome software.
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated at the time that the move was meant to “speed up decision-making,” “bring the best innovations to partners faster,” and “help us deliver higher quality products and experiences.”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
In a petition created earlier this week addressed to Pichai by his first name, the Union voices concern about instability at Google due to layoffs.
“Ongoing rounds of layoffs make us feel insecure about our jobs,” the petition reads. “The company is clearly in a strong financial position, making the loss of so many valuable colleagues without explanation hurt even more.”
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The petition, which has been signed by 1,430 Google employees at the time of writing, asks for guaranteed severance that is at least equal to the severance package Google offered in January 2023 of 16 weeks of salary, plus two weeks for every additional year at the company.
Google software engineer and Alphabet Workers Union organizing chair Alan McAvinney told The Register on Thursday in an email that the buyout offer is “proof of what we can achieve when we stand together as Google’s workers and voice our concerns.”
Google let go of 12,000 employees in January 2023 and at least 1,000 more a year later. According to its latest earnings report, it had a headcount of 181,269 employees.
Google posted better-than-expected third-quarter earnings in late October, which saw Google Services bring in $76.5 billion in revenue.
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