December 10, 2024

Akahata has learned that a male worker working at the Japanese unit of the world’s most famous search engine operator Google LLC (Alphabet’s subsidiary) joined the Japan Metal, Manufacturing, Information and Telecommunication Workers' Union (JMITU) Alphabet Union branch to demand the revocation of his “lockout dismissal”.

According to Akahata, Google Japan uses a performance improvement program (PIP) in combination with a “lockout dismissal” tactic as a downsizing tool. The company imposes an unachievable quota, in the name of the PIP, on targeted workers to apparently label them as poor job performers and force them to accept early retirement. Regarding those who reject early retirement, the tech giant carries out “lockout dismissals” in which workers are suddenly notified of their dismissals and immediately barred from the internal company network.

The 33-year-old male worker in 2023 made a career move to Google Japan and was assigned to a team in the “solution consultant” section which supports salespersons’ product and service proposals to customers.

In this year, the man became one of the best achievers among Google workers doing the same job across the world. However, he was rated second from the bottom on the company’s 5-point performance rating scale and placed on the PIP.

He accomplished all tasks assigned under the 90-day PIP. Nevertheless, he was told by the company that his job performance was still insufficient, and was asked to leave. In October 2023, the company began attempting to force him to accept early retirement. On November 11, the man, after his continued refusal to accept early retirement, suddenly received a dismissal notice and soon was cut out from the company’s internal network.

Following the dismissal notice, the worker decided to join the JMITU Alphabet Union branch and started his battle to push the company to withdraw his dismissal. As the reason for taking part in the union, he said, “In order to fight against the company, I thought I should go to the union for advice because it organizes workers in the same industry.” He also said, “I’ll never give up on my fight so that my co-workers do not have to face a similar experience as happened to me.”

Akahata has made an inquiry about the number of workers who were placed on the PIP and were subsequently dismissed, but so far has not received a reply from Google Japan.