Google's CEO says its workplace isn't a place to 'fight over disruptive issues or debate politics'

• Google doubled down on its messaging to employees about staying focused on work.

• Sundar Pichai said in a blog post the office isn't a place to "debate politics."

• Google fired 28 workers involved in protests against its $1.2 billion contract with Israel.

Tucked at the bottom of Google CEO Sundar Pichai's splashy 1200-word restructuring announcement is a stern reminder to employees.

The CEO's message, which comes only two days after in-office protests, is loud and clear: the office isn't a place for politics.

It echoes an earlier memo Google's VP of security sent out on Wednesday after the company fired 28 employees involved in sit-in protests against Google's $1.2 billion contract with Israel in Sunnyvale and New York City. That separate memo had told workers to "think again" before violating company policies with sit-in protests.

Pichai doubled down on that sentiment Thursday at the end of his note in a section titled "Mission first," addressing the recent events and restating the company's "policies and expectations are clear."

"This is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics," Pichai said in the memo. "This is too important a moment as a company for us to be distracted."

Pichai also said employees have a duty to ensure the company is an "objective and trusted" provider of information that serves "all of our users globally."

"When we come to work, our goal is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," Pichai said. "That supersedes everything else and I expect us to act with a focus that reflects that."

The headline news in Pichai's announcement is that Google is combining its Android and hardware teams to create a "Platforms and Devices" team to oversee Google products that include its Pixel line, Android, Chrome, Photos, and more.

The tech giant is also consolidating teams that focus on building AI models across Google Research and DeepMind to scale its AI capacity. The CEO said the change will simplify development by having all the AI model-building teams in one place, and make space for more focused research into computing systems and the science behind AI.

"Excited to see what these teams accomplish in their new formation," Pichai said.

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