More than 4,500 Google employees have signed a petition calling on Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai to introduce stronger safeguards against layoffs, as the company continues to expand its investment in artificial intelligence while reducing headcount across multiple teams, The Guardian reported.
Members of the Alphabet Workers Union delivered the petition to Pichai's office after nearly 100 employees gathered outside Google's campus in support of the campaign. Many demonstrators wore black T-shirts, while others displayed a long white banner listing the names of signatories.
The union described the petition as the largest employee-led feedback initiative on job security in Google's history.
Workers seek guaranteed severance and changes to layoff policy
Addressed to Pichai and three senior executives, the petition calls for guaranteed severance packages, voluntary buyout options before compulsory redundancies, an end to performance quotas and the option for severance to be offered as extended paid leave rather than requiring employees to leave immediately.
The union argues that, as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace, employees should not bear the cost of the company's transformation.
‘Make no mistake’
Alphabet Workers Union president Parul Koul, speaking with The Guardian, criticised Google's approach to workforce reductions despite its strong financial performance.
"Make no mistake: this is a company that is enjoying massive, unprecedented success," she told employees gathered at the protest.
"These layoffs and cuts are not difficult decisions, but simply profit being put over the people that make this company run."
Growing concerns over AI-driven job cuts
The campaign highlights increasing anxiety across the technology industry, where companies are investing heavily in AI infrastructure while simultaneously reducing staff in pursuit of greater efficiency.
Although Google employees have organised protests in the past over issues such as military contracts, workplace culture and responsible AI, union leaders said this campaign reflects a different concern.
According to the union, employees are now primarily worried about the impact of Google's AI transition on their jobs. It contends that repeated layoffs are increasingly being used as a business strategy rather than a measure of last resort, and argues that workers should be provided with predictable protections as the company undergoes rapid technological change.
Over the last two years, a number of technology companies have cut jobs while significantly ramping up spending on artificial intelligence. The trend has heightened concerns among employees that AI-driven automation and evolving workplace tools could eventually displace certain roles, despite companies maintaining that the technology is intended to enhance efficiency rather than replace workers.