In brief: Google is once again reducing its headcount while cracking down on remote workers. The company has offered buyouts to employees across a number of divisions. It has also rolled out a new RTO mandate across more teams, giving employees the option of returning to the office or taking a voluntary exit package.
Google’s latest round of buyouts will be offered to employees in its knowledge and information (K&I) and central engineering units as well as marketing, research and communications teams, according to CNBC.
K&I is home to Google’s core search, ads and commerce divisions. Around 20,000 staff work in this area, which saw a reorganization in October that resulted in Google executive Nick Fox taking over the reins.
Google never said how many employees would be affected by its latest round of buyouts, but we do know that the voluntary exit plan will mostly apply to US workers.
Google did confirm that more teams will be expected to adhere to its RTO policy. It mandates that fully remote workers who live within 50 miles of an office must adopt a hybrid work schedule and start coming into the office at least three days per week. Those who refuse will be given a severance package.
Google first introduced its return-or-leave policy in April. Employees in Google Technical Services and People Operations divisions were told to either come in at least three days per week or take a voluntary exit package. Remote employees in the units were offered a one-time relocation allowance to relocate to within 50 miles of an office
Google had been one of the companies to stick with work-from-home plans following the end of the lockdowns. It introduced hybrid work models in April 2022, though managers were able to approve fully remote exceptions.
However, Google has been pushing workers to prioritize in-office attendance since 2023. It started tracking hybrid employees’ office badges to find out if they come in on the days they’re supposed to. There were also reviews of long-term remote arrangements. Last year, Google decided to approve remote requests only in “exceptional” cases.
This isn’t the first time Google has offered voluntary exit plans, either. Full-time US employees working in the Platforms and Devices division were given the same option in January. Those in People Operations and Google’s legal and finance teams have also been offered buyouts.
Few companies have reduced their headcount as aggressively as Google. It laid off around 12,000 people in January 2023 and has offered voluntary buyouts to around 25,000 employees this year so far.
Not all executives are demanding workers return to the office. Dropbox CEO Drew Houston recently criticized firms taking this approach, comparing RTO mandates to trying to force people back into malls and movie theaters.
Image credit: Adarsh Chauhan
