Latest news with #Nest
The Hindu
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Why is Google buying out its employees?
The story so far: Google has taken action to reduce its workforce across departments, by using a mix of strategies. These measures involve announcing a voluntary exit programme for several teams based in the U.S., and mandating a hybrid work schedule for remote workers who live within 50 miles of an approved office. Other employees have also reportedly been affected by layoffs. What is Google's employee buyout programme? According to an internal memo shared by Business Insider, the Senior Vice President of Core Systems at Google, Jen Fitzpatrick, said the company was offering a Voluntary Exit Program (VEP) for Core Googlers in the U.S. This means that eligible Google employees, called Googlers, will be allowed to resign and also receive severance pay. 'The Voluntary Exit Program may be a fit Core Googlers who aren't feeling excited about and aligned with Core's mission and goals, or those who are having difficulty meeting the demands of their role,' said Fitzpatrick. The buyout option was offered to employees in Google's Knowledge & Information and central engineering teams. Those in the marketing, research, and communications teams could also avail the option, per CNBC. This is not the first time Google has offered a voluntary exit to workers; the company had proposed buyouts to eligible U.S.-based employees in its People Operations department and its Platforms and Devices group, per media reports. Employee buyouts are a less drastic way for companies to reduce their headcount, although the exact number of departing employees is hard to predict. Because employees choose to leave, this strategy triggers less bad press than a mass layoff. It further reduces the risk of fired employees legally challenging their termination. In the case of large layoffs, U.S. companies may have to provide advance notice to the relevant labour regulators. As noted by Fitzpatrick, employee buyouts can help filter out workers who are only keeping their jobs for financial reasons and would prefer to go elsewhere with a safety net in the form of severance pay. In early 2023, when Google announced it was cutting around 12,000 jobs or about 6% of its workforce, it faced significant backlash. Since then, Google has carried out smaller layoff rounds across its voice assistant units, hardware teams (Pixel/Nest/Fitbit) advertising sales team, and its AR team. Earlier this week, the live layoffs tracker claimed that 75 Google employees were to be laid off, citing a report by The Information. How does this impact engineers in the K&I team? Employees in K&I, who work on Google Search, Ads, Geo, and Commerce products, were offered employee buyouts, according to the Business Insider report. Google is investing heavily in Generative AI and rapidly infusing its offerings with AI features so that it can better compete with rivals such as OpenAI. Google's Knowledge & Information team further launched AI Overviews, Circle to Search, video understanding, 'shop what you see' in Lens, and improvements to Search functionality, according to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. However, the tech giant is facing antitrust lawsuits over its growing dominance in market sectors such as search and ad networks. Google's potential antitrust issues in the AI market have also been flagged by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). What is Google's new remote work policy? In addition to the employee buyouts across several divisions, Google confirmed that multiple teams were asking remote employees to transition to a hybrid work schedule where they would spend three days in office. This can also serve to trigger employee resignations, with labour advocates sometimes terming this strategy as 'backdoor layoffs.' The internal memo sent to Core Googlers cited reasons such as 'connection, collaboration, and moving quickly to innovate together,' for bringing more employees back to the office. However, Fitzpatrick claimed that the company's intention was not to reduce the number of Core Googlers, and that it was aimed instead at internal mobility and creating growth opportunities. Which other companies are reducing their headcount? Apart from Google, other major tech companies that let go of employees in recent weeks include Intel and Microsoft. Intel is planning to shut down its small automotive business and cut most workers there, according to a report from the Oregon Live/The Oregonian. Another report from the outlet cited an internal memo to claim that Intel is planning to lay off about 15% to 20% of its factory workers. Meanwhile, Microsoft is planning major cuts in its gaming division Xbox, according to Bloomberg. Early this month, the company confirmed it would cut about 305 jobs. This came even after Microsoft laid off around 6,000 employees in May, or about 3% of its global workforce. What other challenges is Google facing? In the coming months, U.S. Judge Amit Mehta is expected to consider proposed remedies by the U.S. DOJ and Google itself to curb Google's status as an illegal monopoly in some search markets. The DOJ has favoured measures such as the forced divestment of Chrome and the formation of a Technical Committee to oversee Google's legal compliance. The tech giant naturally supports more lenient measures that do not significantly damage its lucrative business or its top position in the search market. It remains to be seen whether Judge Mehta's ruling will vindicate the DOJ or Google. But as Google's AI competitors floor the accelerator, the Big Tech giant is still trying to move forward, albeit with a leaner workforce.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Air India flight from Mumbai to Bangkok delayed after bird nest found in aircraft wing; netizens slam airline's safety in viral video
In another bizarre incident, an Air India flight was recently delayed after parts of a bird nest were found inside one of the wings of the plane. The claims were made on June 25 in a viral video shared by Rajnesh Choudhary, whose friend, Hanshi Paramjeet Singh, was one of the passengers. On Wednesday, Chaudhary took to his Instagram and shared a video explaining the incident that happened on Air India's Mumbai-Bangkok Flight AI2354. The viral video purportedly showed ground staff removing what looked like tiny twigs used by birds to build their nests in the aircraft wing. In view of the incident, all the passengers were disembarked from the plane, and another aircraft was arranged for them following the incident. A passenger's friend shared the viral video of Air India The Air India flight AI2354 from Mumbai to Bangkok, scheduled to depart at 7:45 am, was delayed by over three hours. Rajnesh Choudhary shared the update on his Instagram, stating that, during the delay, my friend Hanshi Paramjeet Singh noticed a bird's nest near the aircraft and took a picture, which he showed to a flight attendant. The air hostess then took his phone and showed the photo to the pilot. Acting responsibly, the pilot decided to conduct a technical inspection by contacting the ground staff to ensure the safety of the flight before takeoff. View this post on Instagram Netizens react to the viral video As soon as the video surfaced on social media, it caught the attention of netizens who reacted to it. One user pointed out the negligence by Air India, especially after the Ahmedabad plane crash, and wrote, "Why there is a very casual approach on this incident by AI maintenance team." While another said on X (formerly called Twitter), "How can you be so blind @airindia your ground staff didn't even notice a birds nest 🪹 🤨 thanks to the passenger who caught this in his camera else what could have happened 😡" Mumbai to Bangkok Air India Flight AI2354 Departure time 7:45am delayed to take off more than 3 hours. Ground staff are trying to remove a bird's nest from inside the wing #aviation — Ayaz Aziz (@aayaazzizz) June 25, 2025 "A bird made a nest in the wings of #AirIndia flight going from Mumbai to Bangkok. Are they maintaining the flights well? Are they in condition? why no one found it until the bird finishes Nest. ?" one added. A bird made a nest in the wings of #AirIndia flight going from Mumbai to Bangkok. Are they maintaining the flights well? Are they in condition? why no one found it until the bird finishes Nest. ? @DGCAIndia — Dr Srinubabu Gedela (@DrSrinubabu) June 26, 2025
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana and Nest Health Value-Based Program Reduces Emergency Room Visits and Improves Outcomes for Families
Collaboration Brings Comprehensive Primary Care Services into the Homes of Thousands of Medicaid Members NEW ORLEANS, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of New Orleans-area families experienced significantly fewer emergency room visits and have more access to care, thanks to the work of Nest Health and Healthy Louisiana health plan AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana. Nest Health and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana teamed up in December 2023 to offer in-home primary care services to an initial 7,500 of the health plan's members in the greater New Orleans area who face the greatest barriers to care. An analysis of a statistically representative subset of these members found that this collaboration produced the following results in the first year: A large reduction in Emergency Room visits pre-and-post Nest engagement A vaccination rate double the Louisiana Department of Health's (LDH) target rate 91% of postpartum visits completed within 30 days of delivery A 2:1 Return on Investment to AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana over a 12-month period, based on its health care spending on participating members compared to what it paid Nest. The Nest Health team of local doctors, nurse practitioners, therapists, and medical assistants provides check-ups, sick visits, vaccinations, labs, school and work exams, 24/7 clinical care and support, and more to the whole family. The team is also available for online therapy, behavioral and mental health support, coordination with OBs or other specialists, and additional services. Unlike traditional in-office primary care providers, Nest is the family's supercharged care provider offering medical, social, and behavioral healthcare. Nest also works to connect families to resources to help with food, housing, water and electric bills, and other important supports that contribute to often life-changing health outcomes. "We're seeing significant numbers of parents and children who miss lifesaving and preventive health care visits. The current system makes it very challenging for parents to juggle transportation, childcare, and missed work — Nest eliminates as many barriers to getting children and parents to their well visits as we can," said Dr. Rebekah Gee, Founder and CEO of Nest Health. "We're so grateful to work with the AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana team to bring this life-changing care to their members and to show that we can get families healthy in a cost-effective way. We look forward to bringing this successful model to more AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana members in the months and years ahead." Nest's and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana's results come as the state continues to rank 48th in the nation in child well-being and near the bottom on maternal health and mortality and infant mortality, and as Louisiana's Medicaid program faces increasing financial pressures. "AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana is committed to providing our members with access to the best possible care," said Kyle Viator, market president, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana. "Our value-based program with Nest Health has helped us expand access to high-quality care for the Medicaid population in New Orleans by bringing it to their homes, where our member families need it most. We're excited to continue our work and impact together with Nest Health throughout the state of Louisiana." To learn more about Nest, watch this video by Edward Buckles, Jr. Nest Health Nest Health is the first value-based healthcare provider built for families. Nest is making comprehensive medical, social, and behavioral care radically accessible to America's highest-risk families through in-home visits and wraparound virtual care. Learn more at AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana is one of six Medicaid managed care plans that participate in the Healthy Louisiana program. AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana helps Louisiana families get proper care and stay well. AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana works with communities in need to achieve positive health outcomes throughout the state. For more information, go to Contact: press@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Nest Health
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana and Nest Health Value-Based Program Reduces Emergency Room Visits and Improves Outcomes for Families
Collaboration Brings Comprehensive Primary Care Services into the Homes of Thousands of Medicaid Members NEW ORLEANS, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of New Orleans-area families experienced significantly fewer emergency room visits and have more access to care, thanks to the work of Nest Health and Healthy Louisiana health plan AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana. Nest Health and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana teamed up in December 2023 to offer in-home primary care services to an initial 7,500 of the health plan's members in the greater New Orleans area who face the greatest barriers to care. An analysis of a statistically representative subset of these members found that this collaboration produced the following results in the first year: A large reduction in Emergency Room visits pre-and-post Nest engagement A vaccination rate double the Louisiana Department of Health's (LDH) target rate 91% of postpartum visits completed within 30 days of delivery A 2:1 Return on Investment to AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana over a 12-month period, based on its health care spending on participating members compared to what it paid Nest. The Nest Health team of local doctors, nurse practitioners, therapists, and medical assistants provides check-ups, sick visits, vaccinations, labs, school and work exams, 24/7 clinical care and support, and more to the whole family. The team is also available for online therapy, behavioral and mental health support, coordination with OBs or other specialists, and additional services. Unlike traditional in-office primary care providers, Nest is the family's supercharged care provider offering medical, social, and behavioral healthcare. Nest also works to connect families to resources to help with food, housing, water and electric bills, and other important supports that contribute to often life-changing health outcomes. "We're seeing significant numbers of parents and children who miss lifesaving and preventive health care visits. The current system makes it very challenging for parents to juggle transportation, childcare, and missed work — Nest eliminates as many barriers to getting children and parents to their well visits as we can," said Dr. Rebekah Gee, Founder and CEO of Nest Health. "We're so grateful to work with the AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana team to bring this life-changing care to their members and to show that we can get families healthy in a cost-effective way. We look forward to bringing this successful model to more AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana members in the months and years ahead." Nest's and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana's results come as the state continues to rank 48th in the nation in child well-being and near the bottom on maternal health and mortality and infant mortality, and as Louisiana's Medicaid program faces increasing financial pressures. "AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana is committed to providing our members with access to the best possible care," said Kyle Viator, market president, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana. "Our value-based program with Nest Health has helped us expand access to high-quality care for the Medicaid population in New Orleans by bringing it to their homes, where our member families need it most. We're excited to continue our work and impact together with Nest Health throughout the state of Louisiana." To learn more about Nest, watch this video by Edward Buckles, Jr. Nest Health Nest Health is the first value-based healthcare provider built for families. Nest is making comprehensive medical, social, and behavioral care radically accessible to America's highest-risk families through in-home visits and wraparound virtual care. Learn more at AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana is one of six Medicaid managed care plans that participate in the Healthy Louisiana program. AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana helps Louisiana families get proper care and stay well. AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana works with communities in need to achieve positive health outcomes throughout the state. For more information, go to Contact: press@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Nest Health
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Android Authority
Can't change smart light colors with Google Assistant? You're not alone
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Voice commands for changing light colors are not functioning as expected for several Google Home users. Google Assistant reportedly responds that the lights are offline, even though changing colors works fine through the app. Google is aware of the issue and is actively looking into the matter. If you've been experiencing issues changing the color of your smart lights using voice commands, you're not alone. Many Google Home users have recently reported a bug affecting this functionality, but Google is already on the case. Instead of changing colors as expected, Google Assistant responds that the connected lights are offline, according to reports on Reddit and the Google Nest community forums. However, the lights appear online in both the Google Home and OEM apps, and users can change colors manually without problems. This problem is not limited to smart lights from any particular brand. User reports indicate that the issue affects lights from Philips Hue, WiZ, Xiaomi, Yeelight, and Tuya, suggesting that a bug in Google Assistant may be to blame. Interestingly, the bug does not affect the ability to change the brightness or turn the lights on or off. Thankfully, Google has already acknowledged the issue and is 'actively looking into it.' However, the company has yet to reveal the underlying cause or share details about a potential fix. We expect the company to share more details once it identifies the root cause. In the meantime, you'll have to stick to using the Google Home or OEM-specific companion apps to change the colors of your smart light. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
