Google announces voluntary exit program for employees in Pixel, Android teams: Here’s why

Google

Google has announced a “voluntary exit program” for employees working in its Platforms & Devices group in the US, according to a report by 9to5 Google. The platforms and devices teams include employees working on products like Android, Chrome, Google Photos, Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. Just last year, Google merged the Pixel hardware and Android software teams. By merging these teams, Google aimed to streamline its operations and improve decision-making.

By introducing the voluntary exit program, Google is giving the option to employees to leave the company. Not only that, they will be given a severance package if they feel that their role or the combined organization’s mission no longer aligns with their interests. With this, Google has also addressed the past complaints from employees who felt Google did not offer enough financial support during previous layoffs.
However, It is not a company-wide program, meaning teams in departments like Search and AI are not affected by this offer.

The report says that the sole idea behind the voluntary exit program is to make sure that employees in the merged division are fully committed to the company’s goals. Google wants team members who are passionate about their roles and ready to contribute to creating great products quickly and efficiently.

“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,” a Google spokesperson told 9to5 Google.

Eligible employees can voluntarily opt into the program, and Google will provide further details about the severance package soon.