Google Takes Away 'Snack' Perk as Part of Cost-Cutting Method

Google is eliminating certain snacks for its employees as part of its plan to reduce costs in this economy. Hungry workers won't be able to eat their favorite go-to chips.

Google Slashes Snacks as Part of Employee's Perks

Aside from extra allowance and overtime pay, some companies tend to lure more employees by bringing snack perks to the offices. However, the said perk will no longer apply to Google employees after the company's recent announcement to remove it.

In an interview with The Atlantic, a Google project manager at the San Francisco office said that the company already "took away the dried mango."

While dried fruit is not the lone snack to be removed from the list, the anonymous project manager said that Google has also eliminated M&Ms, muffins, and Maui-onion chips.

Google said the latest action is to cut costs amid the ever-changing economy.

Earlier this year, Google announced that a series of layoffs would happen in a few months. At that time, the company said it would be axing about 12,000 of its workforce.

According to Ruth Porat, Alphabet's chief financial officer, the company is making a "significant" process to improve its "cost structure" to achieve long-term profitability.

Back in April, he informed the Google staff that the company would be slashing the operating hours in select office cafes and pantries. The search engine giant plans to invest more resources in other useful ventures, including the surging demand for AI products.

As per Business Insider, Google spokesperson Ryan Lamont clarified that removing these food perks would mean improving other financial needs of the organization.

"As we've consistently said, we set a high bar for industry-leading perks, benefits, and office amenities and will continue that into the future," Lamont said.

Google Initiates Multi-Year Service Cuts For Laptops and Other Equipment

In April 2023, CNBC uncovered in an internal document that Google has cut back on laptops and other employee services as part of the multi-year efforts.

Specifically, the company will be slashing the staplers, fitness classes, tape, and laptop replacements for its staff.

A San Francisco facility directive said they were asked to stop using all dispensers and tape in the building. If someone needs them, they can ask the receptionist desk for assistance.

However, a company spokesperson clarified that the document about removing tape and staplers was "misinformed." The representative said that these are still provided to print stations.

While layoffs are the hardest decisions that Google has to make, Porat said that this would help the company look for other investment opportunities to help it cope with the challenging economic setup.