Google has recently decided to terminate an additional 20 employees who were involved in protests against the company's agreement with Israel. This action comes shortly after the dismissal of 28 workers who participated in sit-in demonstrations just a week earlier, according to a media report on Wednesday.
The workers were said to be demonstrating against Google's USD 1.2 billion cloud computing initiative ‘Project Nimbus’ in collaboration with the Israeli authorities.
According to the report, the number of employees terminated due to their participation in the protest against Project Nimbus has reached nearly 50, following these recent layoffs.
The organisation had previously dismissed bystanders who were not involved and nine employees who were protesting in the office premises were arrested, the report added.
Following this, Google's security chief Chris Rackow criticised the protests, deeming their actions as inappropriate, disruptive and causing discomfort among colleagues. After a thorough investigation, Google decided to dismiss 28 employees.
He stated that if any individuals believe that we will ignore any behaviour that goes against our policies, they should reconsider their thoughts.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, mentioned that the company promotes an open culture that encourages debate and discussions among employees; however, he also highlighted that there are certain limitations in place.
The CEO stressed the significance of maintaining a culture that fosters lively, transparent discussions, allowing for the development of exceptional products and the implementation of innovative ideas.
He said that this establishment operates as a business and it is crucial to refrain from engaging in behaviours that disturb colleagues or create an atmosphere of insecurity. It is inappropriate to utilise the company as a personal platform or engage in conflicts regarding disruptive matters or political debates.
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