Google Employees Submit Petition Seeking Stronger Layoff Protections as AI Investments Grow

Google employees have submitted a petition to CEO Sundar Pichai requesting stronger protections against layoffs as the company continues increasing its investment in artificial intelligence.

The petition, organized by the Alphabet Workers Union, gathered more than 4,500 signatures. It asks the company to provide guaranteed severance packages, offer voluntary buyout options before mandatory layoffs across all product teams, and allow employees to receive severance in the form of extended paid leave. It also calls for changes to the company's performance evaluation system, with workers arguing that current ratings rely on quotas rather than individual merit.

Speaking outside Google's headquarters in California, Alphabet Workers Union President and Google software engineer Parul Koul said the company has achieved significant financial success while continuing to reduce its workforce. She argued that the requested measures are intended to improve job security for employees.

According to the union, representatives delivered the petition to Sundar Pichai's office, where it was accepted by a staff member who said it would be forwarded to the CEO. Google had not issued a public response at the time of publication.

The petition follows previous workforce reductions at Google and comes as the company continues expanding its AI investments. During a recent earnings call, Alphabet's Chief Financial Officer, Anat Ashkenazi, described artificial intelligence as a major investment priority and said the company plans to continue hiring in related areas while increasing support for those initiatives.

The campaign also reflects wider concerns among technology employees as several major companies continue restructuring while investing heavily in AI. Workers at other firms have also raised questions about how artificial intelligence may influence hiring, workforce planning, and future job security.

Union representatives said the latest petition builds on earlier efforts to address employee concerns and follows previous campaigns that resulted in voluntary exit packages for many workers. They said they hope the company will now engage with the requests outlined in the petition.