Googlers,
I have some difficult news to share. We’ve decided to reduce our workforce
by approximately 12,000 roles. We’ve already sent a separate email to employees
in the US who are affected. In other countries, this process will take longer
due to local laws and practices.
This will mean saying goodbye to some incredibly talented people we worked
hard to hire and have loved working with. I’m deeply sorry for that. The fact
that these changes will impact the lives of Googlers weighs heavily on me, and
I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us here.
Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and
fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we
face today.
I am confident about the huge opportunity in front of us thanks to the strength
of our mission, the value of our products and services, and our early investments
in AI. To fully capture it, we’ll need to make tough choices. So, we’ve undertaken
a rigorous review across product areas and functions to ensure that our people
and roles are aligned with our highest priorities as a company. The roles we’re
eliminating reflect the outcome of that review. They cut across Alphabet, product
areas, functions, levels and regions.
To the Googlers who are leaving us: Thank you for working so hard to help people
and businesses everywhere. Your contributions have been invaluable and we are
grateful for them.
While this transition won’t be easy, we’re going to support employees as they
look for their next opportunity.
In the US:
- We’ll pay employees during the full notification period (minimum 60 days).
- We’ll also offer a severance package starting at 16 weeks salary plus two
weeks for every additional year at Google, and accelerate at least 16 weeks
of GSU vesting.
- We’ll pay 2022 bonuses and remaining vacation time.
- We’ll be offering 6 months of healthcare, job placement services, and immigration
support for those affected.
- Outside the US, we’ll support employees in line with local practices.
As an almost 25-year-old company, we’re bound to go through difficult economic
cycles. These are important moments to sharpen our focus, re- engineer our cost
base, and direct our talent and capital to our highest priorities.
Being constrained in some areas allows us to bet big on others. Pivoting the
company to be AI-first years ago led to groundbreaking advances across our businesses
and the whole industry.
Thanks to those early investments, Google’s products are better than ever.
And we’re getting ready to share some entirely new experiences for users, developers
and businesses, too. We have a substantial opportunity in front of us with AI
across our products and are prepared to approach it boldly and responsibly.
All this work is a continuation of the “healthy disregard for the impossible”
that’s been core to our culture from the beginning. When I look around Google
today, I see that same spirit and energy driving our efforts. That’s why I remain
optimistic about our ability to deliver on our mission, even on our toughest
days. Today is certainly one of them.
I’m sure you have many questions about how we’ll move forward. We’ll be organizing
a town hall on Monday. Check your calendar for details. Until then, please take
good care of yourselves as you absorb this difficult news. As part of that,
if you are just starting your work day, please feel free to work from home today.
-Sundar
