A San Francisco, California-based Google software engineer revealed her office’s boba tea station in a viral video posted to TikTok, prompting discussion around recent layoffs at the company and other tech giants.
“We may have had layoffs and cutbacks, but we still have boba,” user Jiji (@jihyeonthetechbro) captioned her video, which has been viewed 479,900 times since it was first posted May 4. In the clip, Jiji and a co-worker fix their drinks as she pretends to impersonate “every techfluencer.”
@jihyeonthetechbro we may have had layoffs and cutbacks, but we still have boba #workingintech #softwareengineer #career #womeninstem ♬ Cupid – Twin Ver. (FIFTY FIFTY) – Sped Up Version – sped up 8282
Jiji hints at the Google layoffs that took place in January when the company let go of nearly 12,000 employees, 6% of its workforce. However, Insider reported in April that the tech mammoth has been cutting costs via its office perks, as well.
But according to Jiji, the boba station is still around at the San Francisco office.
In the comments section, medical field employees pointed out the rarity of such perks in their own workplaces. “Hospital admins could never,” one user wrote.
“Meanwhile nurses and hospital workers once every five months: free pizza!” another said.
Other users pointed out that the sudden appearance of a boba station could mean unpleasant news. “Laid off tomorrow,” one predicted.
“Stop ur gonna trigger another wave of layoffs,” another urged.
Google employees around the country said their offices did things differently than Jiji’s. “Lol we have a Micheline Star Chef cook us lunch like one day next week for our Google office,” user Dyon Pacheco (@dyonpacheco) wrote.
“They don’t got this at the Seattle office,” user @frozenworm revealed.
One user questioned whether or not Jiji was allowed to share a video of her workplace. “Isn’t there a ton of NDA for recording things at work?” they questioned.
“For sensitive stuff,” another user responded. “No whiteboards or screens. Nobody cares about you recording the snacks lol.”
“I love tech TikTok, but given the economy and the way things are going, I would definitely pivot away from making content about work,” a further TikToker suggested.
Others criticized Jiji’s office for simply giving them boba, arguing that they deserve more than treats for their efforts. “When the employees bring in millions a day and instead of paying them more, u give them free drinks,” one observed. “Perfectly balanced.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Jiji via TikTok comment.
