If you’re a US-based Googler working for a team focused on Android, Pixel, Chrome or a number of others, you probably already saw the news hit your work inbox that you’re being offered a “voluntary exit program” complete with a severance package.
Following Google’s move to combine multiple teams under a single Platforms and Devices umbrella, with the primary reason seemingly being to help inject Gemini (and AI in general) into its portfolio of projects at an increased pace, Google is now offering an exit for those who would like it.
Here’s a statement from Google on the matter.
The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit program that provides US-based Googlers working on this team the ability to voluntarily leave the company with a severance package. This comes after we brought two large organizations together last year. There’s tremendous momentum on this team and with so much important work ahead, we want everyone to be deeply committed to our mission and focused on building great products, with speed and efficiency.
This exit program includes those working on Android, Chrome, Chrome OS, Fitbit, Google One, Nest, Photos, and Pixel. It’s reported that Google’s AI and search divisions are not directly impacted.
From the outside, it seems pretty nice that Google would offer this to its employees. Anyone wanting to get into something fresh can take a severance and shop around. It’s better than Google announcing layoffs.
// 9to5Google | TechCrunch
How's that for "Trickle Down Economy"?
Wait until they get new tax cuts and profits go up more. Then they're for 100% super duper sure to hire more people to actually accelerate innovation. ????????????
sounds like Google is getting ready to spin off their Android or Chrome division into a separate company or put up for sale to comply with the anti-trust lawsuit.
God I hope so. They can get back to innovation pre-2016. The company is pretty garbage post-2016 when it comes to innovation. Battery tech and operating system features under "play integrity" walled garden.
I hope not. I don't think spinning off Android or Chrome as separate companies will be good for Google account integration in Android and Chrome. Google doesn't need to separate from those companies to be innovative.
It's excellent for me. I don't rely on Google services nor Chrome. Chrome is a spy tool as bad as China.
Severance packages should be the norm for trillion dollar companies.
Well, so should a living wage but…
"it seems pretty nice that Google would offer this to its employees."
You must feel the same way about Trump's offer.
Trump's offer is very nice. He should just fire half of the useless Federal government.
He pretty much is firing half the "useless" Fed govt, aka the Democrats and any Republican that isn't 110% on board.
Not "on board". On their knees.
"Any Republican that isn't 110% on board"?
You mean anyone that doesn't pledge absolute loyalty to Trump. Do you not realize how authoritarian that is? Most government jobs are not political and have never had (and should never have) a loyalty requirement.
As authoritarian as firing people for not taking a vaccine. As authoritarian as hiring people based upon skin color.
Firing people for not getting vaccinated isn't authoritarian. It's preventing people from putting others in danger.
Many Republicans WANT hiring based on skin color as long as that skin color is white.
Funny how it's always Democrats doing it since 1864.
It was Republicans that were the most opposed to the civil rights movement, desegregation of schools, etc but yeah it was Democrats, which were for those things, that were against hiring non-white people. You don't know history very well. ????????♂️
and how'd that go for the FAA, recently more specifically ???
You have to be real ignorant to believe that anything he's done in the past week had anything to do with the crash. But ya'll love finding any reason you can to blame him. Meanwhile, Biden, barely alive, could do no wrong. Odd…
It is hypocritical for any Trump supporter to say that a Biden supporter thinks Biden "could do not wrong". Trump supporters do that ALL THE TIME.
Ask Biden with his racist hiring practices
Of all places, didn't think I'd be discussing politics on Droid Life's comments, but here we are in the year of our Lord, 2025.
It is very evident you don't know what DEI policies are.
The assumption about DEI is “we need a diverse workforce so we need to make sure to hire minorities and women no matter their qualifications.” What these policies actually are, for a company that has them, is “we need to make sure we aren’t letting our personal biases get in the way of hiring the most qualified person for this job.”
What we should really be focusing on in this post is how Google is just following the Elon Musk Twitter model, and the Microsoft model of raking in profits and getting rid of workers to make those profits even larger. Sundar Pichai was at the inaugration, this is of little surprise, but it is not a good sign for the quality of future products from those teams. More workers, more diversity of thought, will always make a better product.
DEI is racism just like affirmative action.
There is very likely some government employees that are unnecessary but it definitely it's half. And the real issue isn't getting rid of unneeded and inefficient government jobs. It's the requirement of loyalty to the president that is the problem.
Well, Google's offer dosen't require loyalty to a dictator and to disclose for whom you voted. If you support that, it says a lot about you.