Known for its largesse, Google must now pay attention to its expenses, even if it means degrading the working environment of its employees.
The year 2023 is definitely that of the ” end of abundance for the giants of Silicon Valley, and Google is not spared by the economic crisis.
Faced with the crisis, Google seeks to save every dollar
The search giant presented declining revenues and turnover in the last quarter of 2022. Bad news never comes alone, the company has been hit hard by the ChatGPT wave, which directly threatens its business. principal and its lucrative advertising business. Google does have a similar technology in store, Bard, but the early results don’t seem to be on par with those presented by OpenAI.
In short, Google must save money and have a round back to weather this storm. The company also began by announcing a social plan and the dismissal of 12,000 employees worldwide. The measures do not stop there and will directly affect employees still in office.
Google has always highlighted the very comfortable working conditions granted to its teams, with free meals, gyms or daycare centers installed on the premises of Mountain View in California, among other services paid for by the company. Unfortunately for them, these benefits are going to be reduced noticeably in the coming weeks.
The end of free massages and transport for employees
Ruth Porat, the financial director of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, sent a memo to the teams to warn them of adjustments in the services offered to them.
First, employees whose needs do not require a high-performance computer will be given a Chromebook, under Chrome OS. These less expensive devices would be sufficient for most of the company’s administrative tasks. Equipment expenditures over $1,000 must also be approved by a manager, and equipment will no longer be replaced as quickly across divisions. Office supplies, such as staplers, are also rationed.
Employee transport services, cafeterias and fitness and massage rooms will now only be available a few days a week. Google justifies its decision by an evolution of the face-to-face working time of its teams, who spend on average only three days a week on site and the rest of the time teleworking. The various cafes and yoga rooms will therefore be closed on Mondays and Fridays.
Finally, more serious: Google would not have paid the balance of maternity and sick leave for employees affected by the wave of layoffs, with sums that could amount to several thousand dollars per employee, depending on the high average salaries granted by the company. ‘business.
Source : CNBC
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