March 21, 2023
Google is facing criticism as laid-off employees’ band together to demand public commitments from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Over 1,400 workers have demanded a freeze on new hires during the layoff process, priority rehiring for those laid off, protection for coworkers from conflict zones, and the protection of scheduled leaves.
The company’s handling of mass layoffs in January 2023 has left former employees unable to access on-site medical facilities, with some claiming they were let go while on parental leave.
Current and former employees are also protesting Google’s treatment of those on medical or parental leave during the layoffs. Google has decided not to honor pre-approved leave for laid-off employees, prompting the formation of the group “Laid off on Leave,” which is attempting to persuade Google to honor previously agreed-upon timelines for employees experiencing major life changes. Employees believe Google is being unfair to employees who were on medical or parental leave during the layoffs.
As a result of the January announcement, European Googlers are now being laid off. More than 200 employees were laid off from the company’s Zürich, Switzerland, branch this week. Employees walked out a second time in protest, offering to take pay cuts or work fewer hours.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Google provides its employees with on-site medical facilities, which are no longer available to those who have been laid off. Employees who had been using these facilities for ongoing medical care may now lose access to their doctors. Some employees have stated that they lost contact with their doctors as soon as they received the layoff email. Kate Howells, a former Googler, claims she was fired from her hospital bed shortly after giving birth. She had been with the company for nine years.
The sources for this piece include articles in BusinessInsider and ArsTechnica.
