Google’s return-to-office plans have been a source of concern across the company since the pandemic. The company has updated its hybrid three-day-a-week office policy and included badge tracking, which has caused frustration among employees. There is growing concern among staffers that management is overreaching in its oversight of physical attendance. Employees are being treated like schoolchildren, and there is a lack of clarity about the future of remote work.
Employees’ Frustration with Badge Tracking
Google’s new hybrid three-day-a-week office policy includes badge tracking, which is causing frustration among employees. The company has noted that attendance will be included in performance reviews, and employees who already received approval for remote work may now have that status reevaluated. According to CNBC, employees are concerned that management is overreaching in its oversight of physical attendance. Employees are being treated like schoolchildren, and there is increased uncertainty about the future of remote work. Some employees have posted memes expressing frustration with the policy, with one top-rated meme saying, “If you cannot attend the office today, your parents should submit an absence request.”
Managers’ Oversight of Physical Attendance
According to an internal document, group leaders will learn who hasn’t been in the office frequently enough. Managers of non-remote Googlers who have been consistently absent from the office will be cc’ed on emails to these Googlers, so they can support them in either ramping back to the office or exploring other flexibility options. Employees are concerned about this level of oversight and feel like they are being treated like schoolchildren.
Google’s Return-to-Office Challenges
Google is facing challenges as it tries to get people back into its many expansive offices and campuses across the country. Prior to the pandemic, Google was known for its vibrant campus life, replete with massage parlors, yoga classes, video games, and free gourmet meals. But life changed during the pandemic, and employees got used to more flexibility and family time while taking advantage of Google’s flexible remote work options. Despite Google’s efforts to get people back to the office, attendance has remained sparse, and the company is looking to cut costs. Google’s cloud unit told employees it would transition to a desk-sharing workspace in its five largest locations as it downsized real estate. The company is now providing lockers in each location that uses the desk-sharing model so employees can store personal items overnight.
Tech Companies Struggle with Hybrid Work
Google is not alone among its tech peers in struggling to find the right path with hybrid work. Thousands of Amazon employees walked off the job, calling on the company to reconsider its three-day-a-week office mandate. Salesforce is reportedly offering to pay $10 a day to the local charity of choice for every employee that comes back to the office. Meta said recently that employees will need to work from a physical office at least three days a week beginning in September. Google’s three-day policy has been in place for over a year and is now being updated, according to Ryan Lamont, a Google spokesperson. The company is limiting remote work to exception only, and Lamont said it’s going well, and they want to see Googlers connecting and collaborating in-person.
Conclusion
Google’s return-to-office policies have caused frustration among employees who feel like they are being treated like schoolchildren. The company’s hybrid three-day-a-week office policy includes badge tracking and managers’ oversight of physical attendance, which has caused growing concern among staffers. Google is not alone among its tech peers in struggling to find the right path with hybrid work. Despite the challenges, Google is limiting remote work to exception only and is updating its policy to ensure Googlers are connecting and collaborating in-person.
Leave a Reply