"Google scraps minimum wage, benefits rules for suppliers and staffing firms", April 19 2024

Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab on Friday said it will roll back requirements that U.S. suppliers and staffing firms pay their employees at least $15 an hour and provide health insurance and other benefits, a move that could allow the tech giant to avoid bargaining with unions.

The elimination of the 2019 policy, along with other steps such as limiting access by temporary workers and vendors to internal systems, are designed to comply with shifting U.S. and global labor regulations related to contingent workers, a spokesperson for Mountain View, California-based Google told Reuters.

These updates bring us in line with other large companies and simply clarify that Google is not, and has never been, the employer of our suppliers’ employees," the spokesperson said.

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The Google spokesperson on Friday said the company will continue to enforce a supplier code of conduct that requires vendors and staffing firms to provide safe working conditions and meet existing legal obligations.

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