Google Layoffs: “Shaking Hands” and Job Loss for a Google Engineer on H-1B Visa

Google, which is owned by Alphabet, recently initiated layoffs of an unspecified number of employees in an effort to control costs. In a LinkedIn post, a former employee named Matt Hu described the night he learned about his layoff, noting that he had been working as a Software Engineer at Google for two years.

He detailed the moments leading up to the realization that he had been let go, including receiving an email and losing access to various sites, ultimately culminating in the understanding that his time at Google had come to an end. In a subsequent post, Mr. Hu mentioned messaging his coworkers and discovering that others had also been impacted by the layoffs.

He described the emotional impact of witnessing his direct manager and team lead being laid off, reflecting on the sudden and devastating changes that had occurred within the company. Mr. Hu’s account conveyed the significant impact of the layoffs, noting that half of his team had been eliminated.

He expressed the profound emotional effect of witnessing these events, including discovering a picture taken from Google’s rooftop that deeply affected him. Despite the difficulties of the situation, Mr. Hu shared a message from his former manager, who urged the team to remain calm and look forward, demonstrating a sense of professionalism and encouragement amidst the upheaval.

In conclusion, Mr. Hu stated that he and his colleagues were all moving forward, sharing a screenshot of the email’s subject and indicating that he had been laid off from the Python team.