Tech layoffs: Google has sacked its mental health team, and it can backfire

Heartbreaking stories of people being fired while on maternity leave, or after travelling halfway across the world for a job, highlight the human cost of tech layoffs. The US President Joe Biden has also stated that he understands the impact of layoffs on families, while people still working in the sector are haunted by uncertainty about job security. This is why Google's decision to fire its wellness head and do away with the mental health department can backfire in the near future.

Kristin Maczo, the Director of Mental Health and Well-Being, was among the 12,000 people booted out of Google. This comes at a time when a major investor, who had earlier demanded layoffs at Alphabet, has openly written demanding that 1.5 lakh people be fired from the tech giant. Maczo wrote on LinkedIn that the position at Google was her dream job, which she lost after 15 years of loyal service.

Her exit is a major blow and can harm Google in future, since a 2019 Forbes survey showed how neglecting mental well-being can lead to a $100 billion per year loss. This includes the amount of days which are lost because of employees suffering from low self-esteem and depression.