The looming economic slowdown and mass layoffs have led to tech companies taking some really extreme steps. Twitter asked employees to brings their own toilet papers and now Google has asked its employees to share desks amid office downsizing.
Starting next quarter, Google has requested its cloud employees and partners to share their desks and alternate days with their desk mates in the interest of “real estate efficiency,” reports CNBC.
An internal FAQ on the latest desk-sharing policy which was viewed by the news website informs that this change will be applied to the Cloud team members sitting across 5 biggest locations in the US namely- Kirkland, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Sunnyvale. This will lead to vacating of some office buildings.
“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,” read the document. According to the FAQ, employees have the option to come in on days that are not assigned to them. However, if they choose to come in on an unassigned day, they will be required to use the “overflow drop-in space.”
This new seating arrangement is internally being called Cloud Office Evolution” or “CLOE describing it as the combination of “best of pre-pandemic collaboration with the flexibility” of the hybrid work model. With the new desk model, the company aims to make more efficient use of its office space.
“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,” a Google spokesperson was quoted by the website.
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