Some of Google's summer international interns are being told their pay will be slashed by almost half – and they have just 24 hours to accept the new offer (GOOG, GOOGL)

The Internship Google

Google's summer internship is moving online for 2020, but international interns are now finding out that they'll also be earning less.
Some interns from Canada, who will be doing their summer internship remotely, have had their compensation cut by as much as nearly 50%.
Interns are receiving their revised offers this week, but Google is giving them just 24 hours to accept. Some expressed frustration over such a short turnaround time.
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Google's 2020 summer internship program is going completely online, as Business Insider revealed last month, but international interns set to join the program are now discovering that they'll be paid less, too.

Several interns set to join Google's summer internship program told Business insider that recruiters had contacted them this week to inform them their compensation would be significantly lower than their initial offer.

According to emails shared with Business Insider, some interns have had their salary amount reduced by almost 50% from the original amount. These interns, who were set to descend on Google's Mountain View campus this May, will now be completing the program in their home countries.

One intern in Canada, who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity, said their duties and projects hadn't changed, but their compensation had been slashed by 46%.

"While I consider myself privileged to still have summer employment, I don't believe that the situation precludes Google from acting in an honorable fashion," said the intern, who originally signed an offer for a role at Google's Sunnyvale, California office, just up the road from Mountain View.

It sounds like Canadian interns are the first to know, with other countries being updated through the week. One intern in India said their recruiter had reconfirmed their position but had told them they were "still deliberating" whether the hourly rates would remain the same.

A Google spokesperson did not respond to our request for comment in time for publication.

Another intern in the UK said their recruiter told them they will be issued a new offer this week, but hadn't yet confirmed if this would include a salary cut. Interns based in the US said they had not been notified of a compensation change.

But most frustrating, the international interns say, is that Google is giving them just 24 hours to sign the new contract with the updated, reduced salary – something Business Insider was able to confirm by viewing those emails.

One intern, who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing their offer, said Google informed them that they would be entitled to the original amount promised if they were able to obtain work authorization in the US.

"Giving us such short notice to sign the contract only makes it easier to take advantage of us," said the intern in Canada.

Google is still offering interns a relocation stipend with their revised offer, in case some interns had already made non-refundable deposits on accommodation. But interns are being told that the remainder of the stipend must be paid back by anyone who won't be relocating.

Google's summer internship program kicks off in May and will run through until mid-August. It's still one of the most sought-after internships in tech, with many interns turning down offers from Microsoft and other major companies in order to don the famous "Noogler" hat.

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