Latest news with #JenFitzpatrick
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Business
- Time of India
Google gives these employees three-days ‘warning' to …. or leave the company
Google is tightening its return-to-office policies across multiple divisions, requiring remote employees within 50 miles of company offices to work on-site at least three days per week or face potential job loss. The tech giant announced the expanded mandate alongside voluntary buyout programs for US-based workers in Search, marketing, research, and core engineering teams. The new policy affects employees in Google's Knowledge & Information division, which houses Search, ads and commerce operations, as well as Core engineering teams. Remote workers who live within 50 miles of approved Google offices must now transition to a hybrid 3-day schedule by September or accept severance packages. "When it comes to connection, collaboration, and moving quickly to innovate together, there's just no substitute for coming together in person," said Jen Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President of Core Systems, in an internal memo obtained by multiple outlets. Google executives push in-person collaboration strategy by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Nick Fox, head of Google's Knowledge & Information group, emphasized the company's commitment to having fully engaged employees. "My goal is for every single one of us here to be all-in on building the future of our products," Fox wrote in his memo to staff. The executive made clear that high-performing employees should remain with the company, stating: "If you're excited about your work, energized by the opportunity ahead, and performing well, I really (really!) hope you don't take this!" However, Fox also offered an alternative for struggling employees: "This VEP offers a supportive exit path for those of you who don't feel aligned with our strategy, don't feel energized by your work, or are having difficulty meeting the expectations of your role." Google's crackdown on remote work continues This announcement builds on Google's ongoing efforts to reduce remote work flexibility. In April 2025, the company began requiring remote workers in various divisions to return to offices or face elimination of their positions, with some employees receiving relocation assistance to move within 50 miles of company facilities. Google has been conducting targeted buyout programs since early 2025, following widespread layoffs in 2023 that eliminated 12,000 positions. The company continues hiring while streamlining operations to focus resources on artificial intelligence development and infrastructure investments. The policy excludes employees in DeepMind, Google Cloud, YouTube, and central advertising sales divisions, though YouTube separately requires office returns for nearby remote workers. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Google Offers Buyouts for Search, Engineering Teams
Google also mandated that some remote workers return to the office. Google is offering buyouts to some U.S.-based employees on Tuesday, including those working on search, ads, and commerce, as the tech giant attempts to reduce headcount. Google is also mandating that some remote employees return to the office. Business Insider obtained a memo sent from Google's senior vice president of core systems, Jen Fitzpatrick, to employees on Tuesday. In the memo, Fitzpatrick wrote that Google would offer a voluntary exit program or buyouts for employees who wish to leave the company of their own accord, with severance pay. Some Google teams, including the core systems team, are also requiring all remote employees who live within 50 miles of an office to return to the office on a hybrid schedule. Related: Google's CEO Is Spending His Free Time 'Vibe Coding' a Webpage with AI: 'I've Just Been Messing Around' The voluntary exit program is a good fit for Googlers "who aren't feeling excited about and aligned" with Google's mission and goals, or those who "are having difficulty meeting the demands of their role," Fitzpatrick explained in the memo. "We need everyone to show up with an unparalleled sense of energy and enthusiasm," Fitzpatrick wrote. Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images The buyouts apply to employees in several Google divisions, including central engineering and marketing, research, and communications. The knowledge and information team, which includes Google's search, ads, and commerce divisions, also has the option to accept the voluntary exit program. It isn't clear how many employees are impacted by the buyouts, though CNBC reports that the knowledge and information team alone has about 20,000 employees. It is also unclear how much the severance packages will be. A mid-level Google employee made $331,894 in 2024. Related: Here's How Much a Typical Google Employee Makes in a Year Google has offered buyouts earlier this year in other units, in some cases before resorting to layoffs. In January, Google gave full-time, U.S.-based Google employees working on the Platform and Devices team, a 25,000-person department that handles Android, Chrome, Pixel devices, and Google Photos, the option to voluntarily exit with a severance package. A few months later, Google conducted layoffs affecting hundreds of employees in that division. In February, Google offered buyouts to employees in People Operations, its human resources division. Mid- to senior-level employees in the department received severance pay of up to 14 weeks' salary, plus one additional week for every year at the company. Google last made widespread job cuts in January 2023, diminishing its workforce by 12,000 employees or about 6% of its global workforce. The tech giant also conducted additional rounds of layoffs in 2024, affecting its business services and treasury teams. Google's global headcount was around 183,000 employees in 2024. Related: Amazon Intends to Spend Over $100 Billion on AI This Year. Here's How It Compares to Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Google buyouts are being offered to employees on search and other teams as shift to AI ramps up
Google is offering buyouts to certain employees in the United States and requiring more workers to return to offices as it continues to shift toward AI. The 'voluntary exit program,' as Google calls it, is being offered to employees on the communications, core, knowledge and information (which includes search, ads, and commerce), marketing, and research teams, Google confirmed with Fast Company on Wednesday. The buyouts would see Google provide employees with a pay and benefits package in exchange for their exit. 'Earlier this year, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance for US-based Googlers, and several more are now offering the program to support our important work ahead,' Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini said in a statement. 'A number of teams are also asking remote employees who live near an office to return to a hybrid work schedule in order to bring folks more together in-person.' A new era for Google as search habits evolve The exact details of this deal are to follow, according to a memo reportedly sent by Jen Fitzpatrick, senior vice president of core systems. CNBC reports that mid- to senior-level employees in the Peoples Operations unit received up to 14 weeks of their salary plus another week for every completed year on the job during a previous buyout in February. CNBC and Business Insider reported on the memo on Tuesday. Fitzpatrick reportedly stated that AI is 'reshaping everything—our products, our tools, the way we work, how we work, how we innovate and so on.' She continued, 'To meet this transformational moment, we need everyone to show up with an unparalleled sense of energy and enthusiasm for Core's mission, connecting and collaborating at speed so that we can tackle all of the ambitious work we need to do.' Meeting the moment also means being willing to commute up to 50 miles to the office three times a week. In the same memo, Google reportedly announced that all employees within that distance of an 'approved return site' must come in 60% of the time. Taking the stance that workers must show face to perform well, Google reportedly stated, 'We want to ensure Core Googlers are fully committed to being here and actively contributing. These programs will help us be even more focused on our mission and will enable us to operate with greater velocity, efficiency and collaboration.' Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick reportedly noted that the buyouts are for employees 'who aren't feeling excited about and aligned with Core's mission and goals, or those who are having difficulty meeting the demands of their role.' In other words, if you feel behind at work, quitting might be the best option. Though the buyouts are voluntary, they could spell layoffs for those teams. In January, Google offered buyouts to employees in its platforms and devices division, only to lay off hundreds of workers in the unit a few months later. Google also laid off about 12,000 employees in January 2023 and has done multiple rounds of layoffs since.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Google offers buyouts to employees who 'aren't feeling excited about …
Google is offering buyouts to thousands of US-based employees across multiple divisions, including its sprawling Search organization and core engineering teams, as the tech giant continues its cost-cutting efforts amid massive AI investments. The "Voluntary Exit Program" targets employees in Google's Knowledge and Information group, which houses Search, ads and commerce operations, along with marketing, research, and core engineering divisions. Nick Fox, head of Google's Knowledge and Information group, said in an internal memo obtained by The Verge that the program offers "a supportive exit path for those of you who don't feel aligned with our strategy, don't feel energized by your work, or are having difficulty meeting the expectations of your role." Google's buyout offer is latest in the series of workforce reduction The buyouts represent Google's preferred method of reducing headcount following backlash from its January 2023 layoffs that eliminated 12,000 positions. Multiple divisions have offered similar voluntary exit programs throughout 2024 and 2025, including the Pixel and Android units earlier this year. Jen Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President of Core Systems, explained in a separate memo viewed by Business Insider that "we've seen positive feedback across the company in other orgs who have offered similar programs." She added that the voluntary program "may be a fit for Core Googlers who aren't feeling excited about and aligned with Core's mission and goals." Fox emphasized that high-performing employees should remain, stating: "If you're excited about your work, energized by the opportunity ahead, and performing well, I really (really!) hope you don't take this! We have ambitious plans and tons to get done." Strategic cost-cutting amid continued engineering hiring The voluntary exit programs align with finance chief Anat Ashkenazi's October statement that driving cost cutting would be a top priority as Google expands AI infrastructure spending in 2025. And the same is happening this year as the company balances reducing operational costs with maintaining talent in critical areas. Despite the widespread buyouts, CEO Sundar Pichai recently reaffirmed Google's commitment to continue hiring engineers through 2026, positioning AI as "an accelerator" rather than a replacement for human talent. Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech conference, Pichai emphasized that the company expects to "grow from our current engineering base even into next year" to capitalize on emerging technology opportunities. This dual approach suggests Google is selectively reducing headcount in certain divisions while simultaneously investing in AI-focused engineering talent, reflecting the company's broader strategy to streamline operations while maintaining competitive advantage in artificial intelligence development. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
