Around 453 people from various divisions were let go by Google India. Siddharth Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, sent an email to the fired employees, informing them that he accepts “full responsibility for the decisions that brought us here.” Sanjay Gupta, the VP and country head of Google India, is said to have sent the email.
The email reportedly revealed that Google has sent a different email to concerned employees in the United States. Due to regional laws and customs, this process could take longer in other nations.
Google, according to Pichai, undertook a “rigorous assessment across product areas and functions” to make sure that employees’ roles and responsibilities are in line with the organization’s top priorities. Roles covering the alphabet, product categories, job functions, levels, and geographic regions have been abolished due to that examination.
The tech giant has recently announced that it will lay off 12,000 employees from its national and global offices. It is unclear whether the 453 employees who were let go from the Indian office are part of this announcement. Switzerland also saw similar news: around 250 Google employees were laid off from a Google office in Zurich.
Google’s layoffs are part of a larger trend of companies reducing their workforces in response to economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company had previously implemented a hiring freeze and delayed promotions in response to the pandemic’s impact on the economy.
Google, like other companies, has been forced to adapt to the new realities of remote work and the changes to consumer behavior brought about by the pandemic. The company has seen a surge in demand for its products and services, such as cloud computing, online advertising, and video conferencing.
Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Google has continued to invest in new technologies and initiatives. As part of its “Google for India” initiative, the corporation recently disclosed plans to invest $10 billion in India over the ensuing five to seven years. The program aims to increase internet access, promote digital literacy, and support local startups.
Google’s layoffs in India and Switzerland are just the latest in many workforce reductions affecting many industries worldwide. As companies continue to grapple with the economic fallout from the pandemic, it remains to be seen how many employees will be impacted in the months and years to come.
