- Google has further reinforced its message to employees about staying focused on work.
- Sundar Pichai said in a blog post that his office is not a place to “discuss politics.”
- Google has fired 28 employees who took part in protests against a $1.2 billion contract with Israel.
Beneath Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s flashy 1,200-word restructuring announcement is a stark warning to employees.
The CEO’s message, released just two days after the office protests, is clear: The office is not a place for politics.
This follows an earlier message sent by Google’s vice president of security on Wednesday after Google fired 28 employees who took part in sit-in protests in Sunnyvale and New York City opposing a $1.2 billion contract with Israel. It’s the same content as the memo. Another memo urged workers to “think twice” before violating company policy with a sit-in protest.
Pichai doubled down on that sentiment Thursday in a section titled “Mission First” at the end of his memo, touching on recent events and reiterating that the company’s “policies and expectations are clear.”
Pichai said, “This is a business, and anyone who disrupts co-workers, makes them feel unsafe, attempts to use the company as a personal platform, fights over disruptive issues, or debates politics… This is not the place to take action.” Note. “This is too important a moment for us as a company to be distracted.”
Pichai also said employees have a duty to ensure the company is an “objective and reliable” information provider serving “all users around the world.”
“When we go to work, our goal is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and usable,” Pichai said. “That takes precedence over everything else, and we expect our actions to be focused on reflecting that.”
The top news from Pichai’s announcement is that Google will combine its Android and hardware teams to create a “platforms and devices” team that will oversee Google’s products, including the Pixel line, Android, Chrome, Photos, and more. .
The tech giant is also combining teams focused on building AI models across Google Research and DeepMind to expand its AI capabilities. The CEO said the changes will simplify development by bringing all AI model building teams together in one place, and allow for more focused research into computing systems and the science behind AI. He said it will create space for.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what these teams accomplish with their new formations,” Pichai said.
Are you a Googler? We want to hear from you. Email the reporter using a non-work device and send email to: aaltchek@insider.com.
On February 28, Axel Springer, the parent company of Business Insider, joined 31 other media groups in filing a $2.3 billion lawsuit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses caused by the company’s advertising practices. I woke you up.
