Google Employees Are Reportedly Mocking the Company's Updated Hybrid Work Policy In early June, Google informed employees that changes would be made to its hybrid work policy, including considering attendance records in performance reviews and tracking badge usage.
By Madeline Garfinkle •
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Last week, Google told employees in a company-wide email that new measures would be taken to update its hybrid work policy in an effort to strengthen its in-office presence.
The updates included stricter measures to hold employees accountable, such as giving reminders to workers with frequent absences, tracking office badge swipes, and considering attendance reports in performance reviews.
Google's Chief People Officer, Fiona Cicconi, wrote in the email that when employees spend at least three days a week in the office, they "feel more connected to other Googlers."
However, it seems not all Googlers are on board.
To be clear: "return to office" actually means taking away people's offices.
— Kenn Knowles (@KennKnowles) June 8, 2023
At home, I have an office. At Google I have a desk (at best). https://t.co/rWX6ZIjASl
An internal site called Memegen has been flooded with posts and comments regarding the new policy, CNBC reported, with some comparing the new policy to treating the employees like "schoolchildren."
"If you cannot attend the office today, your parents should submit an absence request," one post viewed by the outlet reads. "Check my work, not my badge," says another.
A spokesperson for Google told Entrepreneur that the badge records are reviewed to identify those with prolonged and consistent absences (if someone hasn't shown up in four or five weeks). The company doesn't review individual swipes or daily attendance, he added, as Google expects that workers are coming in three times a week as per the policy.
"Our hybrid approach is designed to incorporate the best of being together in person with the benefits of working from home for part of the week," the spokesperson said. "Now that we're more than a year into this way of working, we're formally integrating this approach into all of our workplace policies."
Google, which has long been known for its extensive office perks and campus-like environment, has cut back on some benefits over the past year in an effort to cut costs as in-office attendance has dwindled — and it's not just free snacks or fitness classes, some workers say they don't even have the essentials.
"New York City workers do not even have enough desks and conference rooms for workers to use comfortably," Chris Schmidt, a software engineer at Google, told CNBC.
