Ignoring the inflammatory editorializing:
Any layoff sucks and this is increasingly one of the worst possible times to be underemployed in tech.
But as far as layoffs go? This seems pretty “good”. 60 day notice to search for new positions (internally or externally) while still employed by Google. Even if Google wants to fuck them over, any manager of basic competence knows to not put critical path work on the person who has already been fired. I don’t know Google severance package details but I assume they are good?
And… one of the reasons why this is a horrible time to be underemployed is that (whatever we currently call the) FAANG employees are pretty much set for life. If you have a FAANG-like on your CV you go to the head of almost every hiring pile. So if you are even moderately competent and likable, you have good odds of getting a new high paying job. And… Google is the G in that outdated acronym.
The 60 days of employment is a requirement of the WARN act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_Adjustment_and_Retraining_Notification_Act_of_1988)
When employees are laid off at Google, they lose access to any systems, can’t contact co-workers in the usual manner, etc.
Google severance has been increasing worse since they had their first 12,000 employees get laid off.
(whatever we currently call the) FAANG
I don’t know how they ever left Microsoft out of that, but I think they’re going with MAMAA now (no Netflix, add Microsoft, swap for Meta and Alphabet)
Microsoft was left out because when it was first coined, Microsoft seemed to be heading down the IBM path of giving up on innovative technology and just becoming a beige box company for enterprise. They’ve since turned that around substantially, but the acronym has stuck.
Could have been MMANAA 😔
“We’re done chewing you up. So we’re going to spit you out now.”
This is the best summary I could come up with:
“As we’ve said, we’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” a Google spokesperson said in a provided statement.
“To best position us for these opportunities, throughout the second half of 2023, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, and to align their resources to their biggest product priorities.
Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally.”
Initially reported by Tubefilter, Youtube’s chief business officer, Mary Ellen Coe, wrote in an internal memo sent to staff on Wednesday afternoon that the job cuts were part of restructuring changes to its creator management and operations teams.
According to The New York Times, workers have 60 days to find new roles before their dismissals are officially in effect.
We’re only three weeks into the new year and already have seen dozens of companies across the tech industry face job reductions, including Discord, Twitch, Prime Video and MGM Studios, as well as Audible, Duolingo, Instagram, Pixar and Unity, among others.
The original article contains 271 words, the summary contains 178 words. Saved 34%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
“eliminate”… They’re really making full use of dropping the “don’t be evil” clause aren’t they.
“As we’ve said, we’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” a Google spokesperson said in a provided statement. “To best position us for these opportunities, throughout the second half of 2023, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, and to align their resources to their biggest product priorities. Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally.”
The opportunities are a slightly increased rate of profit growth. Also I’m pretty sure this spokesperson has no soul. That or Google crushed it into submission.
AI is the way
