Google to remote workers: Come back to office or resign

Google is tightening its return-to-office policy, telling certain remote employees to either adopt a hybrid work model or prepare to leave the company, a move that underscores the tech giant's ongoing cost-cutting measures and intensified focus on artificial intelligence.

As first reported by CNBC, internal documents reveal that teams within Google's Technical Services and People Operations (HR) divisions have issued fresh directives to remote staff, including some who were previously granted permanent work-from-home status. These employees must now report to a physical office at least three days a week or accept voluntary exit packages. Those living within 50 miles of a Google office are expected to comply by June or face potential job loss.

The change is not a company-wide mandate but is being implemented at the team level. "As we’ve said before, in-person collaboration is an important part of how we innovate and solve complex problems," Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini told CNBC. "To support this, some teams have asked remote employees that live near an office to return to in-person work three days a week."

The new policy reflects a broader trend across the tech industry, where companies that once championed remote work during the pandemic are now reverting to pre-2020 office norms. Google’s shift, in particular, comes amid a series of organisational restructures and layoffs aimed at reallocating resources to AI initiatives. In early 2025, Google offered voluntary buyouts to some full-time US employees, continuing a wave of job cuts that began in 2023.

By the end of last year, Google’s workforce had shrunk to approximately 183,000 employees, down from around 190,000 two years earlier. The company’s leadership has made it clear that it views physical office presence as essential for maintaining its competitive edge in AI. In a memo seen by CNBC, Google co-founder Sergey Brin suggested that AI employees should be in the office daily, noting that 60 hours per week was the "sweet spot of productivity."

The pandemic-era flexibility of working from anywhere, once hailed by executives across Silicon Valley, now appears to be firmly in the rearview mirror. As Google repurposes its workforce and operational strategy to align with its AI ambitions, the once-celebrated work-from-home culture continues to fade.