Google reportedly eliminated some office snacks, including dried mangoes and M&Ms, in an effort to cut costs

Aaron Mok
Updated ·3 min read
91
Google sign outside San Francisco office
A Google employee in the San Francisco office told The Atlantic that Google removed office snacks like dried mango, chips, and M&Ms.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

  • A Google employee said certain snacks are no longer available at its San Francisco office, per The Atlantic.

  • Dried mango, Maui-onion chips, M&Ms, and muffins are reportedly no longer available.

  • The snack elimination is part of Google's efforts to cut costs in a challenging economy.

Hungry Google employees may be disappointed to learn that their employer has cut some of its office snacks.

"They took away the dried mango," a project manager at Google who works from the search giant's San Francisco office told The Atlantic.

Dried fruit isn't the only snack that disappeared. The project manager — who spoke to The Atlantic anonymously — said the San Francisco office also got rid of Maui-onion chips and small bags of M&Ms. Muffins are also no more, per the Atlantic.

The elimination of snacks is just one of many perks Google has slashed in its effort to cut costs.

In January, weeks after Google announced it would be laying off 12,000 employees, Ruth Porat, the chief financial officer of its parent company Alphabet, warned that other roll backs were on the way.

So far, Google has let go of 31 on-site massage therapists at its California offices, adjusted the schedules for fitness classes and shuttles, and limited the number of times staff can get their laptops replaced. 

"We have significant work underway to improve all aspects of our cost structure in support of our investments in our highest growth priorities to deliver long-term, profitable growth," Porat said in Google's 2022 fourth quarter earnings report.

Two months later, Porat wrote in a memo to staff that Google would be reducing the operating hours at some office cafés and cut back on its micro-kitchens — pantries that reportedly contained snacks like pork rinds and Brazilian flower buds — as part of plans to cut certain costs and invest elsewhere, such as in its artificial intelligence products.

While the lack of mango is new, Google has been downsizing its perks for years. In September 2022, Google made plans to limit employee travel to "business critical" trips only, nix happy hours, and end certain team social functions.

In April 2021, after Google opened its offices up post-pandemic, the search giant put an end to its lavish buffet spreads that included dishes like banana cheesecake, lobster, and poké bowls.

While some of Google's food perks may be eliminated in favor of  more pressing financial needs, Google will continue to invest in its perks, Ryan Lamont, a Google spokesperson, told The Atlantic.

"As we've consistently said, we set a high bar for industry-leading perks, benefits and office amenities, and will continue that into the future," Lamont said.

Google did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider