Google’s Hybrid Shift | Why Workers Are Being Forced Back?

Google is once again tightening its work policies, this time focusing on employees’ return to office attendance. According to a recent CNBC report, Google is asking certain employees to work from the office at least three times a week — and those who don’t comply could lose their jobs.

The move comes as part of the company’s broader cost-cutting trend, which began in 2023 with major layoffs across departments. After embracing remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company now appears to be pulling back, especially with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence reshaping its priorities.

New Hybrid Work Model Rolled Out

Internal documents accessed by CNBC reveal that several units within the company, including Google Technical Services and the Human Resources department (known internally as People Operations), have started calling back employees to physical offices. Even employees who were earlier approved for permanent remote work are being asked to comply with the new hybrid model.

For those unwilling or unable to return, the consequences are serious. Workers who live within 50 miles of a Google office are expected to start coming in three days a week. If they refuse, they risk termination, as per an internal memo cited by CNBC.

In some cases, the company is offering a one-time paid relocation to employees living farther away, allowing them to move closer to a company office. However, remote employees who choose not to relocate might see their career growth stalled, as future opportunities at Google could require a hybrid setup.

Not a Companywide Policy, Says Google

Despite the strict tone of the internal memos, Google has clarified that the return-to-office requirement is not a blanket companywide rule. A spokesperson for Google, Courtenay Mencini, told CNBC, “As we’ve said before, in-person collaboration is an important part of how we innovate and solve complex problems… To support this, some teams have asked remote employees that live near an office to return to in-person work three days a week.”

Mencini emphasized that these decisions are being made at the team level, depending on their specific needs. She added that employees asked to return have until June to comply with the updated work requirements.

For More: Discord CEO Jason Citron Steps Down as the Company Plans for Big Changes