Working from home could soon cost you if you’re a Google employee.
As the pandemic continues to take the world by storm, many companies are restructuring what work looks like for their employees. Last year, COVID-19 sent everyone into quarantine pushing non-essential employees to transform their homes into offices, schools, restaurants — the whole nine.
Now, as the world attempts to return to normal (whatever that is), some employers are reconsidering what the future of work looks like. Among those companies is Google who’s giving their employees the option to choose which work environment works best for them at a cost.
According to Tech Times, Google employees who decide to work from home could experience anywhere from a 5 percent to 25 percent pay cut. The company will allegedly penalize staffers who make the decision to work remotely in cities where Google offices are located. They have rolled out an internal calculator that will further detail the potential pay cuts.
Per the calculator, staffers at the search engine giant who commute an hour to Google’s Manhattan offices could possibly see a 15 percent decrease in their pay if they decide to work from home.
What this means is that if you’re an employee of Google and you decide to live far away from the company’s offices, you will be subject to a more harsh pay cut.
Employees bringing in a salary of $150,000 would make a little less than $112,000 per year. The company calculator would also use the U.S. Census Bureau metropolitan statistical areas.
On the other hand, the Googlers who live within the five boroughs in New York City and decide to work remotely, wouldn’t see any sort of pay cut.
The move to use a tool to rethink employee salaries in terms of work environments comes as other companies like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have also noted that employees who plan to leave expensive cities like New York and San Francisco will receive pay cuts.
Below you can see how some Twitter users reacted to the news.
Even if somebody did move to a less expensive area, what’s wrong with trying to build wealth and resources by not paying so much overhead?
Oh that’s right, only corporations can do that.
— ɴɪᴄʜᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴛ ᴍɪᴄʀᴏ ᴄᴇʟᴇʙ (@BarkyBoogz) August 13, 2021
The gag is, the Google/Apple's of the world create a work environment with every luxury under the sun to get you to overwork and build a false sense of community & loyalty.
Remote work actually makes it harder to take advantage of your employees and THAT'S what they don't like. https://t.co/vLQd00Pc61
— Raymahl (@raymahl) August 13, 2021
How can you charge someone for working from home when they don’t pay for commutes https://t.co/lgTtPiAS1v
— As Told by Jennger (@JENNontheRocks_) August 13, 2021