Google Refute Reports That They Have Easy Workloads

In an internal memo, an HR representative of Google said the average employee works more than a normal 9-to-5 work day — seeming to refute earlier reports that Googlers have light workloads.

Interestingly, a few of these Google workers made images and showed to loved ones, after reports of one-hour Google work days went viral online during the summer.

“Most salaried Googlers already work longer than 8-hour days on the days they’re working,” the HR representative on Google’s “People Operations” team wrote in response to the employee, in a message. “Nobody is 120% FTE [Full Time Employee] for working a normal FT job at Google, so working a compressed 100% schedule isn’t really realistic.”

The statement additionally said the organization allows workers to apply for plans that are 60% or 80% of full-time.

The Human Resource’s affirmation that workers ordinarily work extended periods pushed some workers anxiously to share that information to their friends and family members, as per inside message board.

During the late spring, various publications purportedly interviewed a Google software engineer earning six figures who said he works one hour per day coding in the mornings and spends the rest of his shifts working on his startup. Those one-hour workday reports went viral — including with Google employees’ friends and family.

One image, shared by a Google worker on Memegen, suggested the employee wanted to share the HR representative’s thoughts with “snarky relatives” who had referenced the one-hour workday reports. More than 100 employees “liked” it.

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In a recent released statement, Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini said Googlers are able to ask for more flexible schedules and that requests are reviewed based on their roles and teams.

“As with any company, there are times when our employees work more than 40 hours in a week to meet deadlines, cover teammates, or deliver products and services to our users,” Mencini said.

The organization repeated that it considers supporting 60% and 80% of full-time schedules, as well as other variations of part-time work, based on employees’ circumstances and manager approval. However, compressed work weeks aren’t as flexible or compatible with overall team schedules as the other options the company offers, according to Google.

Google employees have received public backlash due to recruiting tactics such as wide-ranging corporate perks, which were largely used by tech companies to acquire talent during the last two decades. However, 2023 marked a change in the industry, when economic headwinds and labor shifts led to some of those same companies deciding to dial back some perks.