r/Python • u/jmreagle • Apr 29 '24

News Google laysoff Python maintainer team

https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/google-layoffs-sundar-pichai-led-company-fires-entire-python-team-for-cheaper-labour-101714379453603.html

Are there any ramifications for the Python community outside of Google?

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u/__init__m8 Apr 30 '24

Anyone/company who goes offshore can get fucked.

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u/CHS2048 Apr 30 '24

Why? What's wrong with international business?

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '24

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u/[deleted] May 01 '24

Regarding reduced ability to fire: That won’t make much of a difference. If they decide to lay off 10% of the staff, that can be done just as easily in Germany. The difference is that there are some checks on whom they have to let go (they have to apply social criteria) within the respective group of employees across the company that have comparable jobs and qualification (say, senior Python devs).

But I can also tell you: There are many companies that don’t give a shit about labor laws. As a laid off employee, you can sue them… which means either you look for a new job and then at some point the lawsuit will be settled [= typical outcome] with the effect that you get perhaps a better severance [unlikely, many high profile companies voluntarily pay more generous severance packages than they’d have to], or you hold out for years without income until the court rules that the firing was illegal and you are to be re-employed and paid salaries for the entire time… or the court rules that the firing was legal and nothing happens. But if you’re highly qualified, the chance that you get a better deal by suing is extremely low.

Also, consider that there are no punitive damages in Germany.