According to reports, Google India has let go of 453 people from a variety of divisions. According to Business Line, Sanjay Gupta, the country head and vice president of Google India, informed staff of their dismissal through mail.
The business had earlier in January declared its intentions to reduce employment by more than 12,000, joining other software behemoths as Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon Inc., and Salesforce Inc. in curtailing operations in the face of a faltering global economy and rising prices. Whether the layoffs at Goggle India are a result of the previously disclosed downsizing or a brand-new wave of layoffs is not yet evident. There have also been rumours that CEO Sundar Pichai, who is facing layoffs and challenging macroeconomic conditions, is about to accept a significant pay cut. In a recent town hall meeting with Google employees, he even stated that all positions above the level of “senior vice president” will see a considerable cut in their annual bonus, according to India Today. Pichai stated in a blog post from January that the company will compensate employees affected by layoffs outside the US in accordance with local customs.
Speaking about Google India, a post made by some employees on LinkedIn corroborated the story as well.
An account manager at Google’s Gurugram branch, Kamal Dave, was fired yesterday. He posted the following on his LinkedIn page: “Hello everyone, Yesterday, I participated in the Google India Layoffs. As a Strategic Key Account Manager / Consultant at Google, I concentrated my efforts on achieving Digital Marketing Goals for various industries at the top of their food chain in India. I’d appreciate your assistance as I hunt for a new position. I appreciate any contacts, suggestions, or opportunities you may provide in advance.
Surabhi Sharma, another employee, wrote about the job cuts at the Gurugram office.
“This evening, we had lost some incredibly talented colleagues from the recent layoffs announcement at Google, India. For anyone who was laid off in my contact list and feeling like it turned life upside down, trust me you will land back on your feet, and will find yourself standing confident, and learning more about your full potential,” she stated in her post.
“In times like these I like to remind myself that we are human beings sharing so much of our experiences and building things together; this connection goes beyond just being Googlers or teammates under any org. This is true for my existing and departing colleagues. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that all of us are struggling with a mixture of feelings and all the emotions are valid, even if it’s Survivor’s Guilt,”she further wrote.
Earlier, approximately 250 workers from Zurich had left the building in protest of the company’s last month’s decision to reduce about 6% of its global workforce. According to union spokesman Dominik Fitze, the workers left their workstations before midday with the help of the Syndicom trade union and gathered outside one of the two Google offices in the Swiss city with placards.
