Current Events > Google aims for 'multi-year' savings, by cutting back on STAPLERS

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/03/google-to-cut-down-on-employee-laptops-services-and-staplers-to-save.html

Capitalism is a mother fucking joke.

Googles finance chief Ruth Porat recently said in a rare companywide email that the company is making cuts to employee services.
These are big, multi-year efforts, Porat said in a Friday email titled: Our company-wide OKR on durable savings. Elements of the email were previously reported by The Wall Street Journal.

In separate documents viewed by CNBC, Google said its cutting back on fitness classes, staplers, tape and the frequency of laptop replacements for employees.
One of the companys important objectives for 2023 is to deliver durable savings through improved velocity and efficiency. Porat said in the email. All PAs and Functions are working toward this, she said, referring to product areas. OKR stands for objectives and key results.
The latest cost-cutting measures come as Alphabet-owned Google continues its most severe era of cost cuts in its almost two decades as a public company. The company said in January that it was eliminating 12,000 jobs, representing about 6% of its workforce, to reckon with slowing sales growth following record head count growth.
Cuts have shown up in other ways. The company declined to pay the remainder of laid-off employees maternity and medical leaves, CNBC previously reported.
In her recent email, Porat said the layoffs were the hardest decisions weve had to make as a company.
This work is particularly vital because of our recent growth, the challenging economic environment, and our incredible investment opportunities to drive technology forward particularly in AI, Porats email said.
Porat referred to the year 2008 twice in her email.
Weve been here before, the email stated. Back in 2008, our expenses were growing faster than our revenue. We improved machine utilization, narrowed our real estate investments, tightened our belt on T&E budgets, cafes, micro kitchens and mobile phone usage, and removed the hybrid vehicle subsidiary.
Just as we did in 2008, well be looking at data to identify other areas of spending that arent as effective as they should be, or that dont scale at our size.
In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson said, As weve publicly stated, we have a company goal to make durable savings through improved velocity and efficiency. As part of this, were making some practical changes to help us remain responsible stewards of our resources while continuing to offer industry-leading perks, benefits and amenities.
Cutting down on desktop PCs and staplers
Among the equipment changes, Google is pausing refreshes for laptops, desktop PCs and monitors. Its also changing how often equipment is replaced, according to internal documents viewed by CNBC.
Google employees who are not in engineering roles but require a new laptop will receive a Chromebook by default. Chromebooks are laptops made by Google and use a Google-based operating system called Chrome OS.
Its a shift from the range of offerings, such as Apple MacBooks, that were previously available to employees. It also provides the best opportunity across all of our managed devices to prevent external compromise, one document about the laptop changes said.
An employee can no longer expense mobile phones if one is available internally, the document also stated. And employees will need director or above approval if they need an accessory that costs more than $1,000 and isnt available internally.
Under a section titled Desktops and Workstations, the company said CloudTop, the companys internal virtual workstation, will be the default desktop for Googlers.
In February, CNBC reported the company asked its cloud employees and partners to share desks by alternating days and are expected to transition to relying on CloudTop for their workstations.
Google employees have also noticed some more extreme cutbacks to office supplies in recent weeks. Staplers and tape are no longer being provided to print stations companywide as part of a cost effectiveness initiative, according to a separate, internal facilities directive viewed by CNBC.
We have been asked to pull all tape/dispensers throughout the building, a San Francisco facility directive stated. If you need a stapler or tape, the receptionist desk has them to borrow.
A Google spokesperson said staplers and tape continue to be offered companywide but did not provide details.
Weve baked too many muffins on a Monday
Googles also cutting some availability of employee services.
We set a high bar for industry-leading perks, benefits and office amenities, and we will continue that into the future, Porats email stated. However, some programs need to evolve for how Google works today.
These are mostly minor adjustments, stated a separate internal document from the companys real estate and workplace team. The document said food, fitness, massage and transportation programs were designed for when Googlers were coming in five days a week.
Now that most of us are in 3 days a week, weve noticed our supply/demand ratios are a bit out of sync: Weve baked too many muffins on a Monday, seen GBuses run with just one passenger, and offered yoga classes on a Friday afternoon when folks are more likely to be working from home, the document stated.
As a result, Google may close cafes on Mondays and Fridays and shut down some facilities that are underutilized due to hybrid schedules, the document states.
As a part of the January U.S. layoffs, the company let go of more than two dozen on-site massage therapists.

Again, Capitalism is a mother fucking joke.

Pay execs tens of millions in bonuses but penny pinch over staplers.

Google is worth how much again lol fucking garbage company

"I believe you have my stapler" - Actual words that will be spoken in Google Headquarters

They get muffins on Mondays?

How would a communist Google look?

I think the real question is how many damn staplers does one need/go through. Pretty sure the literal tank of a stapler my grandfather had from like the 70's or 80's (or possibly older) is still going strong. Shit was easily 5 pounds of metal.

Purple_Cheetah posted...

I think the real question is how many damn staplers does one need/go through. Pretty sure the literal tank of a stapler my grandfather had from like the 70's or 80's (or possibly older) is still going strong. Shit was easily 5 pounds of metal.

That's because it was made in the 70s. Stuff made today has trash durability.

wackyteen posted...

As weve publicly stated, we have a company goal to make durable savings through improved velocity and efficiency.

the fuck does that even mean

that doesn't mean a fucking thing

Purple_Cheetah posted...

I think the real question is how many damn staplers does one need/go through. Pretty sure the literal tank of a stapler my grandfather had from like the 70's or 80's (or possibly older) is still going strong. Shit was easily 5 pounds of metal.

You have no idea how often people just lose stationary in a work office. If -someone- doesnt own it, it never gets returned anywhere and just vanishes after a week

Deteled posted...

the fuck does that even mean

that doesn't mean a fucking thing

Corporate losers dont know how to speak English, they only speak buzzwords and dollars

Purple_Cheetah posted...

I think the real question is how many damn staplers does one need/go through. Pretty sure the literal tank of a stapler my grandfather had from like the 70's or 80's (or possibly older) is still going strong. Shit was easily 5 pounds of metal.

We go through at least 5 a month at work, tried every one that is offered to order through our contact. They are all shit and break fast, spring is usually the first to go.

That's pretty depressingly fast.

Though I'm not completely surprised, since things 'have' to be designed to fail as a company learned in the past. I forget the specifics, think it might have been one of the original Cub Cadet lawn tractors. They made them too durable that the company went under because no one needed a replacement mower or parts. Now everything is too far in the opposite direction where it's probably DOA.

Deteled posted...

the fuck does that even mean

that doesn't mean a fucking thing

I was going to say basically the same thing about the same quote. It's just some bullshit phrase that means nothing.

Wtf at the staplers and tape. If there isn't a shared one in the office that anyone can use and not have to ask a receptionist, wtf.. Not like they need one for every person.

I actually understand the other stuff though.

"The company declined to pay the remainder of laid-off employees maternity and medical leaves,"

Fucking evil shit

But then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll, I'll, I'll set the building on fire...

I remember having a conversation with my mentor the first day I started my internship. He swore that we were about to have a completely paperless workplace.

This was 32 years ago