'Return to office or get poor reviews': Google warns employees
COVID-19 is becoming old news, and companies want their employees back at the office. They want to bring offices back to life, one way or another. Google also wants its staffers back at their workplace. Not every day of the week, but at least three days. And to execute its 'return-to-office' mission, the company has also given a warning to its employees.
Why does this story matter?
The pandemic forced companies worldwide to allow remote work. With life returning to normal after the pandemic, employers have been trying to get employees back to the office. Many CEOs, including Tesla's Elon Musk and Amazon's Andy Jassy, have spoken about returning to the office. However, workers have shown stiff resistance to this. It needs to be seen how the plan unfolds at Google.
Google made attendance part of the performance review
Google has updated its hybrid work policy as part of its crackdown on remote work. According to CNBC, the new policy includes tracking office badge attendance and confronting employees who fail to show up when they are required to. The most significant change the new policy brings is that attendance will be part of the performance review of employees.
No substitute for coming together in person: Google
"There's just no substitute for coming together in person," wrote Google's chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, in a stern email to employees. The company wants workers at the office at least three days a week. Google will send reminders to those who are "consistently absent from the office," Cicconi's email read. She also urged already-approved remote workers to consider switching to hybrid mode.
Remote workers' approval could be re-evaluated
Even employees who were allowed to work remotely are not safe from the company's crackdown. Per an internal document, their approval could be re-evaluated based on "material changes in business need, role, team, structure or location." In the US, the company will periodically track whether employees are adhering to the new policy. The policy will be implemented in other countries after reviewing local laws.
Google wants to make remote work an exception
Going forward, Google wants to make remote work an exception. Failure to follow the policy for a longer period will result in "next steps." The tech giant introduced the three days a week hybrid model in April 2022. However, this is the firm's most stringent attempt at enforcing that model. In April, Google tried to woo employees with a private concert and marching bands.
Union representing Google workers criticized the new policy
As expected, Googlers are not happy with how the company is going about hybrid work. Alphabet Workers Union, a union representing those working at Google's parent Alphabet, has pushed back against the new policy. "Overnight, workers' professionalism has been disregarded in favor of ambiguous attendance tracking practices tied to our performance evaluations," said Chris Schmidt, a Google software engineer, and the union's recording chair.
