Come to office or leave: Google gets tough on work-from-office policy, starts offering voluntary exits
Google has taken a tougher approach towards remote work in the US, asking more employees to return to the office or opt for a voluntary exit package. The company has rolled out a new return-to-office (RTO) rule for teams working in key areas like Core, Marketing, Research, Knowledge & Information (K&I), and Communications. The K&I group includes employees involved in major products such as Google Search, commerce and ads.advertisementAs part of this move, employees who have been working remotely but live within 50 miles of a Google office are being told to switch to a hybrid schedule. This means they must start coming to the office at least three days a week. While Google had already introduced a hybrid work policy in 2022, this new step expands its reach and makes the expectation firmer.To go along with this, the company is offering a voluntary exit programme to certain US-based employees, according to the internal memo accessed by Business Insider. Those who choose to leave will get a severance package. A spokesperson for Google said this option is being provided to help the company focus on the work ahead, and it's already been tried in other teams with positive results.advertisement
The memo, which is shared by a top Google executive, explained that the company is in the middle of an important change, especially with the rise of AI. To keep up with the pace of change, Google wants its teams to be more connected and collaborative, something it believes happens better with in-person work.The voluntary exit is also being positioned as a chance for people who feel less connected to the company's goals to step away, while creating room for others to grow within the organisation. Google has clarified that this is not a round of layoffs, but a way to bring more focus and energy to important teams.Still, the announcement has raised some concerns. In the past, Google has followed similar exit offers with job cuts. In 2023, the company let go of around 12,000 employees globally, and this year too, it carried out smaller rounds of layoffs in teams like Treasury and Business Services.While it is not clear how many people will be impacted this time, the message is clear. Google wants more of its staff back in office, and those who are not willing may have the option to walk away.
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