Brothers In Blog

In a January issue of Fortune magazine, Google was named the number one place to work in America. Employee perks such as free lunch, free massages, free on site health care sent Google to the top of the list; however, are such perks honestly meant to keep employees “happy” or just meant to keep them “in the building?”

Imagine you’re twenty something, single, and working at Google. A typical day might look like this:

• Start the day with a little exercise at the free on site gym
• A little sore after the workout? Get a free on site massage
• Clean up in the locker room complete with showers — all on site of course
• Enjoy breakfast at the free on site cafeteria and then head to work — you don’t need to go far, you’re already there
• Lunch time rolls around and you head back to the cafeteria for your second free meal of the day
• Back to work till dinner time when you head back to the free on site cafeteria one more time
• Needing a break from work? Take in a game of pool in the free on site game room
• Got some dirty laundry? No problem, just head to the free on site laundromat
• Getting tired? No need to go home. Just keep a portable futon bed rolled up under your desk and pull it out for a little shut eye, or you could of course do some more work — Google would like that
• A new day rolls around — head to the top of this list and repeat

If you work at Google, you never have to go home! You save money on housing, food, laundry, entertainment, and other life essentials by never leaving work. Of course, isn’t this exactly what Google wants? Employees that never go home. Wouldn’t any employer just love to have workers stay in the building and work work work? Not impossible if the majority of your work force is young, single, and easily lulled into sweatshop work ethics by a land of freebies. But what about employees with a spouse, children, and other life commitments? Do these unbelievable benefits still sound amazing?

Google’s “utopian” benefits are impressive, but not to someone with a family. What matters to those employees are “traditional” benefits not mentioned in the article. How much does Google chip in for health insurance? What about dental and vision care? Does Google have progressive dependent care programs? How much time off do employees get? Sick days? Flex hours? Work a home programs? I don’t have the answers and I couldn’t find the details on Google’s web site; however, I’ll go out on a limb and say that Google looks like every other company when it comes to these “traditional” benefits.

Okay, for the sake of argument let’s give Google the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re not trying to create a utopian sweatshop. Maybe they do have altruistic motives at heart. Nevertheless, the fact remains that promotion and pay increases are based on employee performance. If you’re at work for some ridiculous amount of time every day because you don’t need, or want, to go home, then you have an obvious advantage over the employee with a family and life outside of Google. Whether they want to admit it or not, Google has created an impossible work environment for employees that crave “work life balance.”

If I were twenty something and single, I’d be beating on Google’s doors to get in. Fortunately, I’m not. Therefore, I believe Fortune Magazine needs to fine tune its the award title. Google is NOT the number one place to work in America. Google is, however, the number one place to work in America if all you want to do is work.

Barry’s 2-Cents:

Bro, your last paragraph summed it up for me as well. From my past experience in the hospitality industry, I have watched hotel management companies bring in young college grads to fill vacant management positions. Blindly hungry for a management title they unquestioningly work inhumane hours until they burn out and quit or are terminated for performance issues. Their body heat has not even dissipated from their office chair when management brings in another fully-charged graduate.

Nearly 7 years ago, I left management and took a substantial pay cut to get my personal life back. There are times when I miss being the “top dog” and getting to call the shots, but I cherish my health and family much more. Over time, I have surpassed what my former management peers are currently making, and I cannot remember the last time that I got called at home on my day off to come in and cover for someone. It was a good move and I would do it again if needed.