That undersells Googles use of these staffing firms. Years ago I interviewed for an engineering job with the self driving car team at the newly built Google X office. At the end of the interview the manager informed me that if I were brought on I would technically be employed by a staffing firm (I think Adecco). Apparently everyone on the team had to start this way and people were moved to full time on a set schedule as slots opened up.

My point is you can't assume contractors at Google are independent service providers that happen to be working on site like when you call a plumber to your house. They can and do use this arrangement to keep labor costs low even when employees are working on the company's core business. Before it was Waymo I don't think anyone would have called it the Adecco self driving car project.

You're still accountable to the subcontractors you hire.

Agree. What a clickbait. I thought BBC is better than this.