'Like being hit when you're down': Google employee fired days after returning from leave for mother's death

Google layoffs have rocked the world for most of the 12,000 employees fired last week. Former employees are coming forward to narrate their ordeal after layoffs. One such employee was laid off just four days after returning from a 'bereavement leave' for his mother, who passed away from cancer in December. 

In a post on LinkedIn, the employee expressed disappointment and frustration with the timing of the layoff, stating that it felt like "a slap in the face, like being hit when you're down." The employee went on to mention that they had heard of similar lay-offs happening to 'expecting parents and Googlers on disability leave'.

The former Google employee, Tommy York was a software engineer at Google and he had joined the company in December 2021. His mother was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in February 2022, around the time that the employee's formal orientation ended and they were put on projects. 

Assuming that his time of difficulty could be one reason why he was in the list of laid off employees, the former Google employee highlighted the importance of a sense of safety. He claimed that Google's success is largely due to the talented software engineers who work there, who value an environment that allows them to grow and thrive. 

York also stated that while it did feel like a slap in the face, he is grateful for a generous severance package and the opportunity to take time off to re-center.

Google Layoffs 

Google employees were fired on Friday when the company abruptly stopped offering access to employees who worked at the company for decades. Sundar Pichai, later in an internal meet, explained why the company fired 12,000 employees without prior notice. He claimed that he had to do the deed before things got worse. Other executives in the meeting claimed that the decision had to be made. 

Also read: Why employees fired by Sundar Pichai are being called 'Golden 12K'

Pichai said, “If you don’t act clearly and decisively and early, we can compound the problem and make it much worse.” He added, “These are decisions I needed to make.”

He also assured that the job cuts were finalised after careful consideration. He assured that even the company's leadership would see a "significant reduction" in their annual bonus this year.