As reported by Insider, “Google is reportedly tightening its belt when it comes to certain employee perks,” including travel.
In an effort to manage expenses and boost productivity, the tech giant “sent an email to some senior managers; telling them to limit employee travel to business critical trips.”
The company intends to be more strict with what it regards as critical travel. That means “social functions, team offsites, and travel to in-person events offering a virtual option will no longer be approved.”
For years, Google has extended perks to its employees, including on-site gym access, free meals and even alcohol.
A spokesperson for Google told Insider, “they recently shared guidance about taking a responsible approach on expense management, including travel and events. Different Product Areas and functions are implementing this in a way that works best for their teams, given their business needs.”
The decision to “tighten the belt” likely came from the top. Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai aims to make the company “20% more efficient.” In order to do that, there will have to be some cutting down and cutting out.
