> The previous layoff was all across the board and likely trimming lower rated engineers across the whole company.

This is simply untrue for the Jan 2023 Alphabet layoffs. Entire orgs (>200 FTE) were let go regardless of individual performance.

That's mostly to reduce their legal liability, rather than anything else. Poor management, nonetheless.

Interesting to see that robot as the cover image when the team that built them was shutdown earlier this year: https://www.wired.com/story/alphabet-layoffs-hit-trash-sorti...

*qualified people who are willing to accept the GS pay band

lotta people would, esp. if you can get outside of the greater DC area, and can do "cool sexy spy things".

speaking pashto ain't gonna get you to SME L6 at a FAANG but could get you doing cool stuff as a contractor or full-on Fed.

and hate on the GS band but it's at least adjusted for inflation

Everyday Robots was recently kneecapped: https://www.wired.com/story/alphabet-layoffs-hit-trash-sorti...

I had a manager religiously protect 1:1s who canceled (without rescheduling) one week.

I immediately assumed I was being laid off, but I was only partly correct - that Friday the whole program was eliminated.

> I could be wrong though.

Yep, you are.

A small percentage of the EDR team (and mainly contractors) were absorbed by Google Research - the vast majority of the team was let go.

EDR: "we got hundreds of people working frantically on the design, programming, production, and testing of a general-purpose, environment-sensing and acting, learning robot. Hardware is hard."

R@G: "K we're taking over. We can hire, like, 5 of you"

EDR people: "lol ok good luck with that, bye!"