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Googlers grilled leaders about smaller pay bumps in a recent all-hands

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Justin Sullivan/Getty
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Google employees recently got their new compensation packages, and some say they've once again seen smaller pay bumps.

The issue was raised in a company all-hands on Tuesday, according to a transcript of the meeting shared with Business Insider.

At Google's monthly TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) meetings, employees can submit questions and vote for the ones they want to ask the most. One of the top-voted questions this week asked why some employees had seen a decrease in their refreshed stock grants and overall compensation despite Google's recent strong financial performance.

John Casey, Google's vice president for global compensation and benefits, told employees that more than 80% of staff saw a year-on-year increase in their 2025 compensation. He added, however, that some Googlers in less technical roles in some locations received smaller equity packages this year to calibrate pay to local markets.

Google's compensation packages typically consist of a base salary, equity awards, and, in some cases, bonuses. The actual amount a Googler makes varies based on performance.

Casey said that Google wanted to pay employees who made an impact and that the compensation structure was set up to reward high performers.

BI previously reported that many Googlers saw smaller compensation packages in 2024.

A Google spokesperson told BI that its 2025 compensation cycle was similar to last year's and that Google continued to align its pay to local markets overall.

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Hugh Langley
Hugh is a senior correspondent at Business Insider where he writes about Google, tech, and wealth. His work has been cited by The New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets.Get an alert whenever I publish a story.Got a tip? You can reach him using the secure messaging app Signal (hughlangley.01) or email (hlangley@jkmperu.com). We can keep sources anonymous.