Google is requiring some of its remote employees to return to the office three days a week or risk losing their jobs, marking a significant shift in the company's work policies years after the pandemic began.
According to CNBC, several units within Google have notified remote workers that their positions will be at risk if they don't adopt a hybrid work schedule. Some employees previously approved for remote work are being told to relocate within 50 miles of an office or accept voluntary exit packages.
"As we've said before, in-person collaboration is an important part of how we innovate and solve complex problems," a Google spokesperson told CNBC, noting that decisions are being made at the team level rather than as a company-wide policy.
Remote employees in Google Technical Services must switch to a hybrid schedule or accept a voluntary exit package. The company is offering a one-time paid relocation expense for workers to move within 50 miles of an office.
Human resources staff, known internally as People Operations, face similar ultimatums. Those living within 50 miles of an office must choose hybrid work by June or have their roles eliminated, internal memos reveal. Only remote HR employees living more than 50 miles from an office can maintain their current arrangements.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin pushing for even more office time
The return-to-office push comes after Google co-founder Sergey Brin has taken an even stricter stance on office attendance. In February, he urged AI workers to be in the office "at least every weekday," stating that "60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity," according to internal documents.
Brin emphasized that Google needs to "turbocharge" its efforts to keep pace with AI competition, which "has accelerated immensely." He criticized employees who "put in the bare minimum to get by," calling them "not only unproductive but also highly demoralizing to everyone else."
Google is not the only company in the Silicon Valley pushing employees to show up at the office. The shift is happening across the tech industry as companies reverse pandemic-era remote work policies. Amazon now requires workers to be in the office five days a week, while Meta and most other tech giants maintain a three-day hybrid schedule, consistent with Google's current official policy.
According to CNBC, several units within Google have notified remote workers that their positions will be at risk if they don't adopt a hybrid work schedule. Some employees previously approved for remote work are being told to relocate within 50 miles of an office or accept voluntary exit packages.
"As we've said before, in-person collaboration is an important part of how we innovate and solve complex problems," a Google spokesperson told CNBC, noting that decisions are being made at the team level rather than as a company-wide policy.
Remote employees in Google Technical Services must switch to a hybrid schedule or accept a voluntary exit package. The company is offering a one-time paid relocation expense for workers to move within 50 miles of an office.
Human resources staff, known internally as People Operations, face similar ultimatums. Those living within 50 miles of an office must choose hybrid work by June or have their roles eliminated, internal memos reveal. Only remote HR employees living more than 50 miles from an office can maintain their current arrangements.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin pushing for even more office time
The return-to-office push comes after Google co-founder Sergey Brin has taken an even stricter stance on office attendance. In February, he urged AI workers to be in the office "at least every weekday," stating that "60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity," according to internal documents.
Brin emphasized that Google needs to "turbocharge" its efforts to keep pace with AI competition, which "has accelerated immensely." He criticized employees who "put in the bare minimum to get by," calling them "not only unproductive but also highly demoralizing to everyone else."
Google is not the only company in the Silicon Valley pushing employees to show up at the office. The shift is happening across the tech industry as companies reverse pandemic-era remote work policies. Amazon now requires workers to be in the office five days a week, while Meta and most other tech giants maintain a three-day hybrid schedule, consistent with Google's current official policy.
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