According to a securities filing released on Friday, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai’s total compensation in 2022 amounted to around $226 million (approximately Rs 1,854 crore). This figure is more than 800 times the median pay earned by Alphabet employees. The company’s filing also disclosed that Pichai’s compensation included stock awards valued at approximately $218 million (approximately Rs 1,788 crore). The news has caused concern as Alphabet has been reducing jobs globally, with the announcement in January 2022 of plans to eliminate 12,000 positions worldwide, equivalent to 6 percent of its workforce.
The vast pay disparity between Pichai and Alphabet’s median worker has raised concerns about income inequality and equitable compensation practices. The company has faced criticism for prioritizing executive pay over its employees’ well-being. In recent months, Alphabet’s employees have held multiple protests against the company’s layoffs at various locations worldwide.
In early April, hundreds of Google employees in London participated in a walkout to protest the company’s proposed job cuts. Similarly, in March 2022, workers at Google’s Zurich offices staged a walkout in response to the layoffs that impacted more than 200 employees. These incidents have brought to light the growing dissatisfaction among Alphabet employees regarding the company’s handling of layoffs.
