Google CEO Advises Staff not to "equate fun with money."

According to a recording of the meeting, Pichai made the remarks after employees complained that Google was restricting benefits for travel, on-site entertainment, and other perks. Employees claimed the company was "nickel and diming" them while making record profits.

"How should I put it?" Pichai replied. "Look, I hope all of you are reading the news on the outside. Because we are being a little more responsible in the midst of one of the most difficult macroeconomic conditions in the last decade, I believe it is critical that we pull together as a company to get through times like these.

"I recall when Google was small and scrappy," he went on. "We shouldn't always associate fun with money." I believe that you can walk into a hardworking startup and find people having fun and that this should not always equate to money."

Pichai and other executives then urged employees not to overspend on upcoming holiday parties. Kristin Reinke, Google's finance chief, has also reduced the importance of teams working together in person.

"If you have summits or large meetings, please try to hold them in the office." We want people to have a good time. We are aware that there are holiday parties and year-end celebrations, but we still encourage people to participate. But we're just asking them to keep them small and informal, and to avoid going overboard," Reinke said.

Alphabet with a market cap of 1.29T USD                    PHOTO FILE

Alphabet, Google's parent company, reported approximately $69.69 billion in second-quarter revenues for 2022 in late July, compared to approximately $61.88 for the same period last year.