TECHNOLOGY

Some Google employees have no place to sit, are asked to share desks with colleagues

Source: India Today Feb-24-2023 3 min read

Google employees belonging to select departments have been asked to share desks with their mates starting next quarter.

By Ankita Chakravarti: Google employees belonging to select departments have been asked to share desks with their mates starting next quarter. The company is reportedly planning to close office spaces in select locations. A new CNBC report states that Google has asked its cloud employees to share desk spaces.

As per the CNBC report, the Search Giant has asked its employees based in US offices in Kirkland, Washington, New York City; San Francisco, Seattle, and Sunnyvale, California — the company is taking these measures so that it “can continue to invest in Cloud’s growth,” according to an internal FAQ recently shared with cloud employees and accessed by CNBC. The documents also note that some buildings will be vacated.

“Most Googlers will now share a desk with one other Googler,”the internal memo read. “Through the matching process, they will agree on a basic desk setup and establish norms with their desk partner and teams to ensure a positive experience in the new shared environment.” The note also asks employees to come on alternate days so that they don't end up at the same desk on the same day.

As per the report, Google has introduced a new way of working that combines both in-person and remote work. They call this new way of working "Cloud Office Evolution" or "CLOE". The company thinks that the new desk sharing model will lead to more efficient use of their space.
Google believes that this new way of working will lead to better collaboration between employees, as they will have the option to work in the office or from home, depending on what suits them best. They also hope that this new way of working will help them use office space more efficiently.

Reacting to the reports, a Google spokesperson told the daily, ““Since returning to the office, we’ve run pilots and conducted surveys with Cloud employees to explore different hybrid work models and help shape the best experience. Our data show Cloud Googlers value guaranteed in-person collaboration when they are in the office, as well as the option to work from home a few days each week. With this feedback, we’ve developed our new rotational model, combining the best of pre-pandemic collaboration with the flexibility and focus we’ve all come to appreciate from remote work, while also allowing us to use our spaces more efficiently.”