6 hours Ago By Priya Singh
Five years after the Covid pandemic began, Google is pressuring some remote employees to return to the office or risk losing their jobs as part of broader cost-cutting measures, reported CNBC . Internal documents reveal that several Google teams have informed remote workers—some of whom were previously approved for remote roles—that their positions may be at risk if they don’t transition to a hybrid work model by reporting to the nearest office. Work from the office at least three days per week or risk losing your job, several units at Google told their remote employees recently, according to internal documents reviewed by CNBC.
pic.twitter.com/XqfxUm9TaH — Revamped | Career & Workplace Development (@RevampedCP) April 23, 2025 As pandemic-era remote work policies fade, companies—especially in tech—are tightening their return-to-office requirements, prompting many employees who relocated to reconsider their roles.
Google is now pressuring some remote workers to return to the office at least three days a week or accept voluntary buyouts, aligning with broader cost-cutting efforts while investing heavily in AI. ALSO SEE: WhatsApp’s New Feature Puts You In Control Of Your Chat History Since its mass layoffs in 2023, Google has continued targeted staffing reductions, even as it ramps up infrastructure and hires for AI initiatives. With headcount declining from 190,000 in 2022 to 183,000 in 2024, the company is doubling down on in-person productivity, with co-founder Sergey Brin recently urging AI teams to work 60-hour weeks in-office to stay ahead in the AI race.
According to CNBC reports, Google is requiring certain remote employees to return to the office at least three days per week or risk losing their jobs, marking a significant shift in the company's work policy five years after the COVID-19 pandemic began pic.twitter.com/V7XbyT5vKl — Steven Zammit (@StevenZammit5) April 24, 2025 Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini clarified that return-to-office decisions are made by individual teams, not enforced companywide.
She emphasized that in-person collaboration is key to innovation, and some teams have asked remote employees living near offices to return three days a week to support that goal. Google is tightening its return-to-office policies across multiple departments, offering relocation support or voluntary exit packages to remote employees who do not comply. In Google Technical Services, workers must adopt a hybrid schedule or accept a one-time paid relocation to live within 50 miles of an office.
Similarly, People Operations staff living within that range must return to in-person work by June or face termination, while those farther away can remain remote but must switch to hybrid if applying for new roles. The company has also rolled out voluntary exit programs across various teams, including People Operations and the Platforms and Devices group, which oversees Android, Chrome, and devices like Fitbit and Nest. Though internal messages suggested remote work influenced some cuts, Google says it wasn’t the primary reason.
Since merging Android with its hardware division under SVP Rick Osterloh last year, Google has been streamlining operations, resulting in job reductions while continuing to hire both in the U.S. and globally.
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