--- title: "Google Employees Alarmed That the Company Suddenly Expects Them to Do Work" description: "Amid disappointing revenue and a productivity push, Google has extended a two-week hiring freeze — and apparently, workers are shook." date: "2022-08-12" modified: "2022-08-12" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/google-employees-work-mandate" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Future Society" - "Google" tags: - "Google" - "silicon valley" - "the digest" --- # Google Employees Alarmed That the Company Suddenly Expects Them to Do Work ![Amid disappointing revenue and a productivity push, Google has extended a two-week hiring freeze — and apparently, workers are shook.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Desk Jockeys Crab cake lunches aren't enough to quell growing employee discomfort at Google. In [late July](), Googlers were told to get off their bean bag chairs and work — and now, upon the announcement that the company has extended a two-week hiring freeze, [*Insider* reports that]() workers have grown increasingly alarmed at the new mandate that they actually do work. With its sprawling campus and lavish perks, Google has built a reputation as a generous employer. But as one unnamed worker told *Insider*, the Silicon Valley giant has undergone a "real vibe shift" in recent weeks. And that new vibe, it seems, is very uneasy. "The communication has been rude," another Googler told the outlet, "and it's threatening people to make sure we hit numbers." ## Goblin Mode The company is clearly pushing its workers to increase productivity. In an all-hands meeting a few weeks ago — shortly [after disappointing quarterly earnings]() were announced — CEO Sundar Pichai [reportedly told employees that]() "there are real concerns that our productivity as a whole is not where it needs to be for the head count we have," and "we should think about how we can minimize distractions and really raise the bar on both product excellence and productivity." While Google has yet to announce any workforce cuts, its Googlers are worried that performance ratings might inform any pending layoff announcements. And considering that a screenshot obtained by *Insider* reportedly showed a manager explaining that if next quarter sales "don't look up, there will be blood on the streets," those fears, uh, definitely check out. ## Bad Vibes Everywhere Google isn't the only major tech player that's slowed or even frozen hiring. Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft have all made similar moves, while Elon Musk's Tesla recently cut a [large chunk of its workforce](). And according to a July speech from a [very angry Mark Zuckerberg](), the productivity-forward, mildly-threatening vibe shift seems industry-wide. Nevertheless, it looks like Googlers have heard the message loud and clear. "Volume has picked up and the busyness of the workday has picked up with how rough things have been," one unnamed contractor told *Insider*. "I haven't heard of reductions, but there are definitely no additions." **READ MORE:** *[Google quietly extends its hiring freeze as employees see a 'real vibe change'. Employees fear harsher disciplinary action and roles not getting back filled.]()* \[*Insider*\] **More on bad industry vibes:** [*Angry Zuckerberg Complains about Employees Who "Shouldn't Be Here"*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()