Google is looking to trim its workforce even more, offering buyouts to US employees ” who don’t feel aligned” with the company’s strategy in 2025.
It’s no secret that the tech industry has had a serious layoffs problem over the last few years. Between the evolution of AI and the economic uncertainty of a Trump presidency, companies across the industry have been culling employees like it’s going out of style.
Google has been leading the pack on this front, laying off employees on an unfortunately consistent basis over the last few years, with these buyouts representing a prelude to the next round.
Google Offers Buyouts in Multiple Departments
According to an internal memo obtained by CNBC and Business Insider, Google is offering US employees a buyout to leave the company.
Workers on the Core, Marketing, Research, Knowledge & Information (K&I), and Communications teams all received access to the offer, which Google calls a voluntary exit program.
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“The Voluntary Exit Program may be a fit Core Googlers 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.” – Jen Fitzpatrick, the Senior Vice President of Core Systems at Google in internal memo
The number of employees that were offered the buyout was not disclosed by Google, but considering the company’s history of layoffs over the last few years and the departments listed, it seems likely many workers will have the option to leave if they want.
Google Also Announced Another Return-to-Office Mandate
In addition to offering buyouts to US employees, Google has also informed some employees that their remote work status will be in question moving forward.
More specifically, Google noted that local remote employees — those working remotely while living within 50 miles of an office — will have to abide by the company’s three days in, two days out hybrid policy moving forward.
“When it comes to connection, collaboration, and moving quickly to innovate together, there’s just no substitute for coming together in person.” – Jen Fitzpatrick, the Senior Vice President of Core Systems at Google in an internal memo
Are More Layoffs Coming at Google?
While voluntary buyouts are certainly a more humane approach to firing employees, the reality is that they almost always lead to full-on layoffs. Sure, some companies are able to meet their quotas after voluntary programs like this one, but in many cases, they’re merely a prelude to firing employees non-voluntarily.
This is almost certainly going to be the case at Google. The company laid off 12,000 employees in 2023, with a steady stream of layoffs following over the last few years.
As for why Google is laying off employees at such a high rate, look no further than the new technology of the moment. AI has made companies pivot and pivot hard, with many looking to restructure, so that they can focus on developing this new technology to replace human workers.
