Amid layoffs at Google, employees have taken to sharing memes on internal platforms criticizing CEO Sundar Pichai over his massive compensation package. Pichai received a total pay of $226 million last year, which has drawn criticism from some Google employees.
According to reports, one meme compares Pichai to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took a 40% pay cut last year due to the pandemic. Another meme features the Shrek character Lord Farquaad with the caption, “Sundar accepting $226 million while laying off 12,000 Googlers.”
The memes come as Google recently announced plans to lay off over 12,000 contractors and temporary workers. The layoffs reportedly affected people working in areas like staffing, recruiting, and marketing, among others.
It’s worth noting that Pichai’s pay package is largely made up of stock awards that will only be paid out if the company hits certain performance targets. However, the large compensation package has still drawn criticism from some employees, especially in light of the recent layoffs.
In response to the criticism, Google spokesperson José Castañeda told Business Insider, “Compensation decisions are made through rigorous processes and reflect the responsibilities of the work.”
Despite the criticism, Pichai remains one of the highest-paid CEOs in the world, with a net worth estimated at around $1.2 billion.
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