Google employees are raising concerns about job security as the company prepares for further cost-cutting measures this year. An internal petition titled ‘Job Security’ has been circulating among employees, gathering over 1,250 signatures. The petition reflects widespread anxiety within Google, which has been dealing with layoffs, employee protests and underwhelming product launches.
The layoffs, which began in 2023, are expected to continue as the company shifts focus toward AI infrastructure. Employees fear ongoing job cuts are creating an unstable work environment that affects productivity and morale.
Anat Ashkenazi, newly-appointed chief financial officer, signalled in October that reducing costs would be a key priority as Google ramps up AI investments in 2025. This statement heightened internal uncertainty, as employees sought reassurance from leadership but received no clear response.
The petition urges CEO Sundar Pichai to consider voluntary buyouts before layoffs and to provide guaranteed severance packages for affected employees. It also raises concerns about Google’s performance-review system, known as GRAD, accusing the company of using low performance ratings to justify terminations. Employees demand an end to forced low ratings and more transparency in the evaluation process.
A Google spokesperson addressed these concerns, stating that the company does not enforce specific rating distributions under GRAD. They emphasised that performance reviews are based on individual contributions, job roles and expectations.
The petition also calls for severance packages similar to those offered during the January 2023 layoffs, which impacted over 12,000 employees. At that time, affected workers received 16 weeks of salary plus two additional weeks for each year of service. However, subsequent layoffs reportedly had varying severance terms, causing further discontent among employees.
As Google moves forward with restructuring and AI expansion, employee concerns over job security and fair treatment remain a significant challenge for the company’s leadership.
