Google Workers Dread Mass Layoffs, Taking Cue From Meta And Amazon

Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google workers in Switzerland shared concerns over a new employee evaluation system culling the workforce.
The letter signaled how some Google employees increasingly interpret recent management decisions as warnings that the company may be flexing to conduct broader layoffs, the New York Times reports.
From the upcoming closure of a small office and the cancellation of a content-moderation project to various efforts to ease budgets during 2023 planning meetings, Google became a tinderbox of anxiety, according to interviews with several current and former employees.
Meta Platforms Inc META and Amazon.com Inc's AMZN aggressive layoffs further triggered concerns amongst Google employees.
Unlike other big tech companies, Google has dodged large-scale job cuts. Still, investors have pushed the company to become more aggressive about "defending" its massive profits, said Mark Mahaney of Evercore ISI.
"One of the most obvious ways to do that is to cut costs and reduce your employee headcount," he said. He added that it was "kind of odd" that Google's parent had hired 30,000 employees in the last three quarters, given the economic trends.
Google HR representative told a worker that the company would reconsider the possibility of broader layoffs in the new year.
Google had told other employees that it would prioritize trimming real estate expenditures, travel costs, and perks before it pursued layoffs.
In January, Google plans to close a small office in Farmington Hills, Mich., a suburb of Detroit.
Project revocations and reorganizations stoked nervousness. In September, Google's YouTube shut down a project based in the Farmington Hills office, laying off some staff members.
In planning discussions, leaders have pressed managers to justify their expenses, asking if there are workarounds or team reorganizations that could save money.
One of the biggest concerns has been whether Google could use its new performance-evaluation system to accelerate job cuts.
Price Action: GOOG shares traded lower by 0.03% at $87.90 in the premarket on the last check Wednesday.

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