Google announced in January the mass layoff of 12,000 employees at Alphabet, its parent company. He then claimed that affected staff will receive 16 weeks of severance pay, plus two weeks for each additional year of employment, including paid leave.
Today, more than a hundred of these dismissed employees are claiming payment for all the leave they were authorized to take before this famous announcement. This includes parental, medical and assistance leave. They even formed a group called ” dismissed on leave “.
Disrupted health care
Members of this group argue that the approach has had a negative impact on their parenting plans. Those who have recently given birth have also been affected. Moreover, it has also disrupted health care. Some former workers say they lost access to Google’s in-house medical care the day they received their layoff notices. They therefore no longer had access to in-person treatment. Google offered them virtual doctor appointments, while asking those affected to find alternatives.
The group then demands that CEO Sundar Pichai and other leaders clarify its leave policy as soon as possible. It is important to note that the Mountain View giant will have to finalize the terms of dismissal as early as March 31.
Google reiterates its compensation plan
When asked about this hot topic, Google reiterated its 16-week severance plan. The latter also adds that his outgoing employees would be entitled to normal salary and shares during their notice period of “more than 60 days“. Google says its dedicated accommodations for people on leave compare “favorably” to those of other companies.
Google is not alone in facing problems, in the case of employees laid off while on leave. Indeed, a lot of tech giants have been downsizing lately due to the current economic climate. In all, more than 50,000 people working for these giants have been laid off. When these workers were hired, these big companies dangled them significant benefits. Unfortunately, as they now struggle with a tough economy, they are forced to cut costs. They must then reconsider these promises.
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