Google and Amazon experience hardship in letting go of workers in Europe due to labor laws

Per Gulf News

Google and Amazon, along with other US big tech companies that announced that they would be laying off employees, are experiencing difficulty in Europe due to their strict local labor laws. The companies are trying to implement voluntary departures to reduce headcount.

For example, in France, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, was reportedly calling for voluntary departures with generous severance packages to help incentivize workers to give up their position at the company.

Amazon, on the other hand, was offering up to a year's pay on top of vested shares and bonuses to help get some senior managers to leave the company. A Google spokesperson responded to Bloomberg regarding how they deal with the matter.

"We have been working carefully and individually through each country where reductions are taking place to fully adhere to local legal requirements, which vary per location, are complex, and take time,"

France and Germany are known for having some of the strongest labor laws in the EU. For both countries, companies would have to negotiate with work councils regarding layoffs.

This process, compared to the US, is usually longer due to additional requirements, including info gathering, negotiations, and recourse possibilities. Alphabet Workers Union executive chair Parul Koul gave a statement regarding how it was "inspiring."

Koul: "It is inspiring for people in the US to see things are different in other places... it's a blueprint for what people can fight for,"

Despite massive layoffs within the big tech sector, labor shortages in certain sectors within the US are resulting in companies struggling to attract and retain workers. This was especially true for small businesses and the service industry.

In 2022, there was an increase in the number of employees checking out, with employee engagement decreasing by 2% from 2021. This was true for remote, hybrid, or onsite employees.

See flow at unusualwhales.com/flow.

Other News:

Resources:

Bloomberg

tastytrade logo+
Get the best broker for options trading and earn Unusual Whales discounted! in cash with an eligible account deposit at tastytrade. Get an Unusual Whales bonus when you deposit $2000. Offer expires 3/31/25. Certain restrictions, terms and conditions apply.
Unusual Whales does not confirm the information's truthfulness or accuracy of the associated references, data, and cannot verify any of the information. Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Options, investing, trading is risky, and losses are more expected than profits. Please do own research before investing. Please only subscribe after reading our full terms and understanding options and the market, and the inherent risks of trading. It is highly recommended not to trade on this, or any, information from Unusual Whales. Markets are risky, and you will likely lose some or all of your capital. Please check our terms for full details.
Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Certain investment planning tools available on Unusual Whales may provide general investment education based on your input. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. See terms for more information.