The wave of significant workforce reductions within tech companies shows no signs of abating. Recently, Google made headlines by announcing the dismissal of 12,000 employees. As the layoffs unfolded last week, it became evident that there was a lack of systematic procedures to determine which employees were to be let go. Disconcertingly, individuals were disconnected from their login credentials arbitrarily.
In a video titled ‘A Day in My Life: Experiencing Layoff at Google,’ TikTok content creator Nicole Tsai recounted her jarring encounter. Nicole held the position of Program Manager at the tech behemoth. Her day commenced with an enigmatic text message from her supervisor, prompting her to check her email and stay abreast of the news. However, upon attempting to access her accounts, she discovered that she had been locked out from “virtually everything,” including her email and calendar. Even her manager was caught unaware of her impending layoff.
She expressed, “The criteria for selection were inconsistent. Furthermore, the layoffs weren’t rooted in performance evaluations, making it feel utterly arbitrary.”
Throughout the day, Nicole came to realize that many others were undergoing the same fate as hers. She noted, “It appears that no one had been consulted about this verdict. Everyone was being informed about the layoffs simultaneously.” She likened the situation to a “highly unfavorable game of Russian roulette.”
