Tragedy has struck once again at Google’s New York City headquarters; an employee has taken his own life.
On Thursday, May 4, a 31-year-old senior software engineer leaped to his death from the 14th floor of the company’s Chelsea office headquarters, located at 111 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The man’s identity has not been revealed.
Police arrived at the scene after multiple 911 calls reported an unresponsive person on the ground. The unconscious man was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Sources say investigators found handprints on the ledge of a 14th-floor open-air terrace, but no note or recording of the tragic incident was discovered.
This apparent suicide follows the suicide of Jacob Pratt, another employee of the same Google headquarters. Pratt was found hanging in a Chelsea apartment on February 16, just before 6 pm.
Google has expressed its condolences over the death of the senior software engineer, voicing its sorrow and offering support to his family and colleagues. The company has not released additional information about the incident.
In January, Google laid off approximately 12,000 employees, or six percent of its global workforce. Meanwhile, the company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, received $226 million in compensation in 2022, a significant increase from the $6.3 million he earned in 2021. This pay package has drawn widespread criticism from employees, but Google has not commented on the matter.
The technology industry has seen some of the highest rates of employee burnout, according to the American Psychological Association. Stress levels among tech workers are notably higher than the national average. Other tech employee suicides have been reported in recent years, emphasizing the mental health challenges faced by professionals in this high-pressure field.