LAYOFFS ACROSS TENURES, TEAMS, ROLES
Both Mr Teo and Tom said they believed the company had a method and rationale for deciding which roles to cut, but that from their point of view, it seemed “a bit random”.
Tom said the people who were laid off came from different teams and that they had been with Google for varying lengths of time.
There has been no explanation about the decision to lay off certain people, he said, adding that he knew of top performers who were retrenched.
“I’m guessing there is some method, but it can seem a bit random,” he said.
Mr Teo said he was not clear why certain roles were cut but understands the need to reduce costs.
“I don’t seek closure, I don’t need a reason, I just need to kind of move on,” he said.
SEVERANCE PACKAGE “COMPARABLE” TO US OFFER
Mr Teo said he is happy with the severance package offered by Google, but declined to provide details.
“It gives me some fuel to look for the next thing,” he said. “My family and I are quite pleased with it.”
Tom said there was “not much to complain about” and that the package was “pretty good”.
The severance package is comparable with what is offered to employees in the United States, he said.
According to a memo by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, those who were laid off in the US were offered 16 weeks’ salary plus two weeks for every additional year at Google.
Retrenchment benefits are not mandatory in Singapore. The recommended range is two weeks to one month of salary for each year of service, for employees who have been with the company for at least two years.
According to the CEO’s note, employees in the US will also get paid their bonuses for 2022 and for any remaining leave days.
Beyond the financial support, Tom also said Google has provided other avenues of help, including counselling, job placement and advice for those who are on work visas.
“Google does these things pretty well,” he said, adding that he would use some of the services.
Mr Teo said the support offered goes “above and beyond” what other companies might offer, which he felt was in line with the “Google culture to take care of people”.