Abstract

The case ‘Google’s Hybrid Workplace Model and Location Based Pay’ describes Google’s plans for a ‘hybrid workforce model’ that encouraged employees to return to office for better collaboration. The case first focuses on the company’s plans to create more options to attract employees back into offices based on the annual employee survey ‘Googlegeist’ conducted in February 2021, which indicated that more than 70 percent employees were unwilling to return to work and were ready to forego the facilities offered at the workplace. Accordingly, Google planned to create new office locations so that employees had greater location options to work from closer to home. Under the new work plan announced in May 2021, about 60 percent of the employees had to come to office three days a week; another 20 percent had to work in new office locations; and 20 percent could work remotely. The case then touches upon the key elements of the new workplace model that offered greater choice of office locations, availability of non-office locations, new collaboration technology, and greater work flexibility to enable employees to collaborate effectively across work environments. Google’s Real estate and Workplace Services team was responsible for implementing the new workplace design. The case finally discusses the location based pay policy that Google planned to implement with the new hybrid work model where the compensation of employees would vary based on their choice of location. Employees, however, perceived this as a violation of the principle of equal work and equal pay, leading to changes in job related attitudes.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the elements of a hybrid workplace model
• Understand the challenges of implementing new hybrid workplace policies
• Examine the importance of work and pay equity
• Understand the importance of workplace re-design to boost employee collaboration
• Become aware of the shifting expectations of employees remote work models

Keywords

Compensation Policy; Employee Benefits; Future of Work; HR Policy; Collaborative Work Environment; Employee Productivity; Perception; Job Satisfaction