Google co-founder wants employees to work 60 hours a week in office

Back office staff work at computers in the control centre at JPMorgan Chase & Co offices in Bournemouth in Dorset, U.K. on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. Photographer: Jason Alden (Jason Alden/Bloomberg)

Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, claims that a 60-hour workweek is the “sweet spot” for productivity in a recent memo sent to employees.

In the note, shared internally and viewed by the New York Times, Brin urges staff working on Google’s Gemini AI projects to put in long hours to help the company lead the race in artificial general intelligence (AGI).

His suggestion sparked mixed reaction.

Some have praised Brin’s commitment to pushing the company’s success, but others argue that his approach reflects an outdated and harmful mindset.

“The hustle-centric 60-hour week isn’t productivity—it’s burnout waiting to happen,” wrote workplace mental health educator Catherine Eadie in a post shared by LinkedIn’s news editors.

Others said they feel that hard work is essential for success, with a COO of a business analytics business writing, “Brin is just being honest—successful people have always put in long hours.”

But for some, the irony is too much to ignore.

“It’s strange to push for longer hours when the very AI models they’re building might replace their jobs,” wrote a marketing executive in a post highlighted by LinkedIn’s news editors.