Posted on by

Google asks some employees to share desks amid office downsizing



Share

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai gestures during a session at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty ImagesGoogle is asking cloud employees and partners to share their desks and alternate days with their desk mates starting next quarter, citing “real estate efficiency,” CNBC has learned.The new desk-sharing model will apply to Google Cloud’s five largest U.S. locations — Kirkland, Washington; New York City; San Francisco; Seattle; and Sunnyvale, California — and is happening so the company “can continue to invest in Cloud’s growth,” according to an internal FAQ recently shared with cloud employees and viewed by CNBC. Some buildings will be vacated as a result, the document noted. “Most Googlers will now share a desk with one other Googler,” the internal document stated, noting they expect employees to come in on alternate days so they’re not at the same desk on the same day. “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.”The FAQ says employees may come in on other days, but if they’re in on an unassigned day, they will use “overflow drop-in space.”Internally, leaders …

Read More