Over 1,300 Google employees have signed a petition calling for changes to the company’s layoffs policy, in the wake of the company announcing ongoing rounds of job cuts in its Platforms and Devices group. The petition was organized by the Alphabet Workers Union, which requested guarantees of severance for all laid-off employees, an option for voluntary buyouts with corresponding severance, and an end to the performance review system used by the company. Despite opposition, Google’s management has relented, introducing a “voluntary exit program” for eligible US employees, with a corresponding severance package.
However, union leaders feel that this new offer does little to address long-term concerns for employees, calling for more extensive and permanent policies that prioritize transparency, fairness and stability. Specifically, the Alphabet Workers Union continues to demand fair severance policies, as well as a cessation of the reliance on AI-project-funded layoffs that put contract workers, who typically lack benefits, union representation or job security at the mercy of algorithmic uncertainty.
