[US] Google co-founder repeats call for longer working hours

[US] Google co-founder repeats call for longer working hours
11 Jul 2025

Sergey Brin, Google co-founder, has repeated his call for longer hours and increased office attendance as Google fights to stay ahead of its AI rivals, HR Grapevine reports.

Mr Brin expressed these wishes in an internal memo seen by The New York Times. He stated that Google staff should aim for a 60-hour working week to stay competitive with Microsoft and OpenAI.

The memo reportedly once again demonstrated Mr Brin’s conviction that extended work commitments are necessary to meet current demands.

The big tech boss highlighted that “60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity,” and suggested that employees who underperform can negatively impact team morale. 

“A number of folks work less than 60 hours and a small number put in the bare minimum to get by,” he wrote.

In addition, Mr Brin reportedly reiterated his support for in-person work. In the memo, he encouraged employees to consider being in the office every weekday and emphasised perceived gains in productivity from in-person collaboration.

Despite acknowledging the risk of burnout, particularly among developers, Mr Brin reportedly underscored the importance of leveraging AI tools to improve output, urging staff to use current technologies to become “the most efficient coders and AI scientists in the world.”

The memo came at a time when tech companies are doubling down on stricter workplace expectations. Amazon and Dell have recently increased return-to-office requirements to five days per week.


Source: HR Grapevine

(Quotes via original reporting)

 

Sergey Brin, Google co-founder, has repeated his call for longer hours and increased office attendance as Google fights to stay ahead of its AI rivals, HR Grapevine reports.

Mr Brin expressed these wishes in an internal memo seen by The New York Times. He stated that Google staff should aim for a 60-hour working week to stay competitive with Microsoft and OpenAI.

The memo reportedly once again demonstrated Mr Brin’s conviction that extended work commitments are necessary to meet current demands.

The big tech boss highlighted that “60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity,” and suggested that employees who underperform can negatively impact team morale. 

“A number of folks work less than 60 hours and a small number put in the bare minimum to get by,” he wrote.

In addition, Mr Brin reportedly reiterated his support for in-person work. In the memo, he encouraged employees to consider being in the office every weekday and emphasised perceived gains in productivity from in-person collaboration.

Despite acknowledging the risk of burnout, particularly among developers, Mr Brin reportedly underscored the importance of leveraging AI tools to improve output, urging staff to use current technologies to become “the most efficient coders and AI scientists in the world.”

The memo came at a time when tech companies are doubling down on stricter workplace expectations. Amazon and Dell have recently increased return-to-office requirements to five days per week.


Source: HR Grapevine

(Quotes via original reporting)