Google employees in the US and Canada are asking the tech giant to reconsider its plans of cutting jobs yet again.

An internal memo calling for job security has reportedly made the rounds among Google staff members as the company allegedly prepares for another round of layoffs.

“We, the undersigned Google workers from offices across the US and Canada, are concerned about [the] instability at Google that impacts our ability to do high-quality, impactful work,” the petitioners said.

“Ongoing rounds of layoffs make us feel insecure about our jobs. The company is clearly in a strong financial position, making the loss of so many valuable colleagues without explanation hurt even more.”

The workers are asking Google CEO Sundar Pichai to:

• Consider buying out workers’ contracts before cutting staff
• Ensuring retrenched workers receive a severance package
• Refrain from giving low performance reviews to justify terminating employees

The petition calls for a guaranteed severance package similar to what was provided in January 2023, when over 12,000 workers were retrenched. The exit package then was worth 16 weeks of pay in addition to two weeks of pay for every extra year of service rendered.

Also Read: Google workers grapple with discontent and low morale

Google employees question cost-cutting plans

Google has been confronting employee discontent for months after facing a series of issues in recent product releases and ongoing corporate downsizing that began in response to the 2023 economic slowdown.

Like most in Silicon Valley, the tech giant is betting big on artificial intelligence. But, with newly appointed Anat Ashkenazi at the helm of Google’s finance team, the company’s investments in AI could also mean a simultaneous cutdown of the human workforce.

Cost-cutting is one topic that hasn’t escaped the scrutiny of Google employees. Last year, staff attending a Halloween-themed all-hands meeting asked Pichai and Ashkenazi to clarify what they meant by cutting costs after the management mentioned it at an earnings call just days before.

The question was aimed at Ashkenazi: “What exactly was meant by the comments on further efficiencies in headcount?” The CFO said the company would be investing in its people.

Also Read: Google hardware division set back by mass layoffs, leadership exit

Pichai also replied: “If you have to do something new and it’s going to take 10 people, if you can find a way to do it with eight people by making smart trade-offs somewhere and aligning teams better, that’s an example of finding efficiencies in headcount as well.”

The forum also allowed employees to ask about continuing job cuts, with Pichai responding: “If we are making companywide decisions, we’ll definitely let you know.”

Google increasing investments in tech

The CEO also pointed to an “extraordinary period” of understanding how best to optimise capital expenditures.

“When you have these technology shifts, at the earlier stages, you invest disproportionately and then the curve gets better and that’s the transition as an industry we are working through,” Pichai said.

Such investments in tech will likely coincide with the purported plans of cost-cutting.

“Any organisation can always push a little further and I'll be looking at additional opportunities,” Ashkenazi said.

Since 2023, Google has been laying off staff in the marketing, cloud, trust and safety, and security teams.