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Google Security Contractor Lays Off Hundreds of Bay Area Workers

Written by George KellyPublished Nov. 21, 2023 • 1:01pm
Pedestrians silhouetted against strong sunlight slanting down between tall city buildings walk alongside their own shadows as they enter crosswalks.
Surefox North America Inc., which markets itself as "physical risk management solutions for individuals and businesses," said it will let go of 386 Bay Area employees. | Source: Camille Cohen/The Standard

A security company serving multiple Google offices will let go of hundreds of workers in December, according to state documents. Payroll and biotechnology firms in the East Bay will also lay off hundreds of staffers.

Surefox North America Inc., which markets itself as "physical risk management solutions for individuals and businesses," said it will let go of 386 employees at four addresses.

A California Employment Development Department document known as a WARN notice lists the locations as the following Google facilities: 1685 Plymouth St., 2000 North Shoreline Blvd., and 100 Bay View Drive #100 in Mountain View; and 1000 Enterprise Way in Sunnyvale.

Those employees, most of whom are classified in the letter as security guards and supervisors, will be let go by Dec. 18.

a google sign
Cars are parked in front of an office at Google headquarters in Mountain View. | Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

TCW Global, which provides contingent services including payroll processing and health care benefits for companies, said 88 workers will be let go from a Hollis Street address in Emeryville. Their last day will likely be Dec. 18, a WARN notice dated Oct. 18 and shared with The Standard said.

Amyris, a biotechnology firm that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in August, has offices at the same Hollis Street address. In a separate WARN notice also dated Oct. 18, an Amyris representative said the company "reasonably expects to terminate" 225 employees assigned to the address as part of its plans to "sell and/or cease all operations in its consumer products business." The company laid off 127 employees in August.

Neither TCW Global, Amyris or Surefox North America Inc. immediately responded to requests for comment from The Standard.

READ MORE: Jack Dorsey-Led Tech Giant Slashes a Thousand More Jobs

In late September, Bay Area technology companies announced hundreds of layoffs in five cities. Notably, Cisco Systems Inc. laid off hundreds of workers in two San Francisco Bay Area cities.

In October, California tech giant Qualcomm announced it was laying off 1,258 California workers—including almost 200 in the Bay Area, according to WARN notices.

George Kelly can be reached at gkelly@sfstandard.com


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