‘Taking home $226 million while laying off 12,000 staff’: Employees point out irony of Sundar Pichai’s massive pay check
The huge pay disparity comes at a time when Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has been cutting a large number of jobs globally. The California-based company announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world in January, equivalent to almost 6% of its global workforce
After the announcement, Google’s internal employee platforms have been flooded with posts and memes criticising Pichai for taking a pay hike amid layoffs. File Photo.
Google’s employees are unhappy and they are saying it with memes. Amid massive cost-cutting measures and slashing jobs of at least 12,000 employees across verticals, it turns out that Alphabet Inc CEO Sundar Pichai has taken home an annual compensation package of about $226 million in 2022, which is more than 800 times the median employee’s pay, the company said in a securities filing last month.
After the announcement, Google’s internal employee platforms have been flooded with posts and memes criticising Pichai for taking a pay hike amid layoffs and cost-cutting initiatives. The employees are justifiably indignant that the Alphabet chief did not take a pay cut himself in the midst of mass reduction of Google staff.
The huge pay disparity comes at a time when Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has been cutting a large number of jobs globally. The California-based company announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world in January, equivalent to almost 6% of its global workforce.
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In the few weeks that have elapsed since Pichai’s total compensation was revealed, Google employees have taken to the company’s internal platforms to crib about the shocking pay disparity. These posts, include memes comparing Pichai to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took a 40% pay cut in his target total compensation last year.
Google staff also complained about Pichai taking a pay hike even as the company announced austere measures to rein in costs — in an internal memo sent in March, Google CFO Ruth Porat informed staff that the company would be reducing several perks as part of its cost-cutting drive. These measures included cuts in employee laptops replacements, reduction or shutting down of micro kitchens and fewer fitness classes.
“Ruth’s cost savings applied to everyone… except our hardworking VPs and CEO,” read one post on an internal Google employees forum.
“Sundar accepting $226 million while laying off 12,000 Googlers, cutting perks, and destroying morale and culture,” another meme read.
Earlier this month, hundreds of Google employees staged a walkout at the company’s London offices following a dispute over mass layoffs. In March, Google employees walked out at the company’s Zurich offices after more than 200 workers were laid off.
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