Google is asking its employees and partners to share their desks and work on alternate days.
In next quarter, the new desk-sharing model will apply to Google Cloud’s five most prominent US locations in Kirkland, Washington; New York City; San Francisco; Seattle; and Sunnyvale, California.
This is taking place so that the company “can continue to invest in Cloud’s growth.”
The firm said this would result in some buildings being vacated.
An internal document said: “Most Googlers will now share a desk with one other Googler.
“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.”
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The FAQ says staffers can come on unassigned days when they have to use “overflow drop-in space.”
Internally, the new sitting arrangement has been dubbed “Cloud Office Evolution,” or “CLOE.”
Google views it as “combining the best of pre-pandemic collaboration with the flexibility” of hybrid work.
The new work style is not a trial run but “will ultimately lead to more efficient use of our space.”
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Google also utilized internal data from employee office return trends to make its decision.
Apart from slower office return patterns, the corporation has slowed hiring and laid off 11,000 workers in January.
The decision comes as Google reduces its real estate footprint as part of a larger cost-cutting strategy.
The tech giant it has not yet specified which locations or buildings would be downsized.
Source: CNBC
