Google layoffs: 4,500 workers demand guaranteed severance pay, voluntary buyouts in petition to Sundar Pichai | Today’s news
More than 4,500 Google employees have signed a petition calling on Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai to introduce stronger safeguards against layoffs as the company continues to expand its investment in artificial intelligence while cutting staff across multiple teams, The Guardian reported.
Members of the Alphabet Workers Union delivered the petition to Pichai’s office after nearly 100 employees rallied outside the Google campus in support of the campaign. Many of the protesters wore black T-shirts, while others held up a long white banner with the names of the signatories.
The union described the petition as the largest employee-led feedback initiative on job security in Google’s history.
Employees are looking for guaranteed severance pay and changes in layoff policies
The petition, addressed to Pichai and three executives, calls for guaranteed severance pay, voluntary buyout options before mandatory layoffs, an end to performance quotas and the option for severance pay to be offered as extended paid leave instead of requiring employees to leave immediately.
Unions argue that as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace, employees should not bear the costs of business transformation.
‘Make no mistake’
Speaking to The Guardian, Alphabet Workers Union president Parul Koul criticized Google’s approach to downsizing despite its strong financial performance.
“Make no mistake: this is a company that is enjoying massive, unprecedented success,” she told employees gathered at the protest.
“These layoffs and cuts are not difficult decisions, but simply a profit attributed to the people who run this company.”
Growing concerns about job cuts due to artificial intelligence
The campaign highlights growing concerns in the tech industry, where companies are investing heavily in AI infrastructure while downsizing in a bid to become more efficient.
Although Google workers have organized protests in the past over issues such as military contracts, workplace culture and responsible artificial intelligence, union leaders said the campaign reflected other concerns.
According to the union, employees are now primarily concerned about the impact of Google’s AI transition on their jobs. They argue that repeated layoffs are increasingly being used as a business strategy rather than a last resort, and argue that workers should be afforded predictable protections as society undergoes rapid technological change.
Over the past two years, a number of tech companies have cut jobs while significantly increasing spending on artificial intelligence. The trend has raised employee concerns that AI-driven automation and evolving workplace tools could eventually displace certain roles, even though companies say the technology aims to increase efficiency rather than replace workers.
