Yet another series of layoffs has hit Google, this time at its video-sharing platform, YouTube. The company will eliminate 100 employees, a spokesperson
Any layoff sucks and this is increasingly one of the worst possible times to be underemployed in tech.
But as far as layoffs go? This seems pretty “good”. 60 day notice to search for new positions (internally or externally) while still employed by Google. Even if Google wants to fuck them over, any manager of basic competence knows to not put critical path work on the person who has already been fired. I don’t know Google severance package details but I assume they are good?
And… one of the reasons why this is a horrible time to be underemployed is that (whatever we currently call the) FAANG employees are pretty much set for life. If you have a FAANG-like on your CV you go to the head of almost every hiring pile. So if you are even moderately competent and likable, you have good odds of getting a new high paying job. And… Google is the G in that outdated acronym.
I don’t know how they ever left Microsoft out of that, but I think they’re going with MAMAA now (no Netflix, add Microsoft, swap for Meta and Alphabet)
Microsoft was left out because when it was first coined, Microsoft seemed to be heading down the IBM path of giving up on innovative technology and just becoming a beige box company for enterprise. They’ve since turned that around substantially, but the acronym has stuck.
Ignoring the inflammatory editorializing:
Any layoff sucks and this is increasingly one of the worst possible times to be underemployed in tech.
But as far as layoffs go? This seems pretty “good”. 60 day notice to search for new positions (internally or externally) while still employed by Google. Even if Google wants to fuck them over, any manager of basic competence knows to not put critical path work on the person who has already been fired. I don’t know Google severance package details but I assume they are good?
And… one of the reasons why this is a horrible time to be underemployed is that (whatever we currently call the) FAANG employees are pretty much set for life. If you have a FAANG-like on your CV you go to the head of almost every hiring pile. So if you are even moderately competent and likable, you have good odds of getting a new high paying job. And… Google is the G in that outdated acronym.
The 60 days of employment is a requirement of the WARN act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_Adjustment_and_Retraining_Notification_Act_of_1988)
When employees are laid off at Google, they lose access to any systems, can’t contact co-workers in the usual manner, etc.
Google severance has been increasing worse since they had their first 12,000 employees get laid off.
I don’t know how they ever left Microsoft out of that, but I think they’re going with MAMAA now (no Netflix, add Microsoft, swap for Meta and Alphabet)
Microsoft was left out because when it was first coined, Microsoft seemed to be heading down the IBM path of giving up on innovative technology and just becoming a beige box company for enterprise. They’ve since turned that around substantially, but the acronym has stuck.
Could have been MMANAA 😔