- Google CEO Sundar Pichai is encouraging employees to volunteer in local communities to help out during the pandemic.
- The company is also increasing its employee donation-matching program to up to $10,000 a year.
- In an email obtained by Business Insider, Pichai urged employees to help out at food banks, donate to schools, offer technical expertise to those who need it, and more.
- Google is feeling the effects of the coronavirus lockdowns, but has been less hard-hit than some other businesses that have been forced to close or lay off workers.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is calling on his employees to volunteer in their local communities to help out during the coronavirus pandemic.
In an email to staffers obtained by Business Insider, the 47-year-old executive encouraged workers to help out at food banks, donate to schools, offer technical expertise to those need it, and take other steps to help out charities and non-profits under strain as a result of the mounting outbreak.
Google is also increasing its annual employee "gift match" - a scheme in which it matches donations employees make - from $7,500 to $10,000 per employee, "so that we can direct more resources to the places where they're needed right now."
The COVID-19 outbreak, which has sickened more than half a million people globally and killed more than 22,000, has led to unprecedented economic turmoil - and Google is feeling the effects. Its workforce is largely working remotely, and it recently opted to delay performance reviews to focus on "mission-critical activities." Earlier this week, it extended the contracts of temporary workers who were due to leave amid the pandemic, and it has faced criticism internally for allegedly not doing enough to protect some contract workers.
But tech firms like Google (or Facebook, or Twitter, or Amazon) are far better technologically and financially equipped than many traditional businesses to weather the unexpected economic downturn, which has already produced a record-breaking spike in unemployment claims in the US.
Pichai's email to employees indicates the company is keen to support to communities that are suffering more acutely as a result of the outbreak.
"A lot of you have asked how you can help," he wrote. "Here are a few more ways Googlers can help give back to our communities: Support food banks. Food banks are seeing dramatic increases in need and are currently looking for donations and volunteers ... Support your local schools. Donate to help students, teachers and parents adept to distance learning ... or volunteer to virtually mentor students ... Support high risk communities ... Donate your time and resources to organizations like Meals on Wheels ... or organizations that support people with disabilities."
He also encouraged employees to make donations to affected people, to offer full-time technical assistance through Google's COVID-19-related Google.org fellowships, and to "lend your expertise to [small and medium businesses] by providing virtual coaching sessions to help with Ads, Analytics, Google My Business, GSuite, and more."
Pichai added: "There are just some of the ways we can show up for our friends, neighbors, and communities in their time of need. I hope you'll join me in giving to and serving a cause that's close to your heart and that can make a big difference in the lives of others."
Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, also has pledged $50 million to COVID-19 relief efforts around the world.
Google is also holding a special all-hands "TGIF" meeting on Thursday at 4:30pm PT to discuss the company's response to the pandemic. Google traditionally held weekly TGIF meetings on Fridays, but they have been scaled back as the company faced mounting employee unrest and leaks over the past few years.
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