For most of us, employee benefits usually refer to medical, dental, vision and paid vacation time. For employees of Google the list doesn’t end there, instead it goes on and on. Here are some of the things that Google employees cherish the most as benefits of working for Google.
The Pool of Co-Workers
One of the more important part to any job you have is whom you work with. Fellow employees help make you feel comfortable at work and add to the enjoyment of doing what you love. At Google, not only are you working with some of the brightest minds in the industry, you’re also working with some with celebrity status. One employee of Google said, “Never in my life have I met so many people with a Wikipedia page than in the last year!” While celebrity status is awesome it may be the average person at Google that has the biggest impact. Another Google employee said, “We are surrounded by smart, driven people who provide the best environment for learning I’ve ever experienced. I don’t mean through tech talks and formal training programs, I mean through working with awesome colleagues–even the non-famous ones.” While employees and local celebrities are nice, there are also occasional guest talks given by other celebrities.
Dogs Are Welcome
Co-workers are nice and smart and help push the bounds of one’s own thinking process, but dogs are just cuter. If an employee wants, they are allowed to bring their own dogs into work. One employee describes exactly why being able to bring your dog into work is such a great benefit. “Though managing a dog between meetings can sometimes be challenging, having her with me meant that every few hours I needed to get outside and take a break which helped me manage my energy. In addition, my dog brought a lot of spontaneous joy to my colleagues who sometimes sought her out when needing a break from an arduous task. For everyone looking out your work window to see dogs chasing each other or running after tennis balls really warms the spirit. Eventually, my dog became far better known than I was and she oddly enough ended up introducing me to a lot of people I wouldn’t otherwise have met. The benefits of allowing dogs in the office far outweigh the costs, and the increase in job satisfaction for those with dogs or who like dogs far outweighs the mild annoyance of those miserable individuals who somehow make it through life unaffected by wagging tails and contagious enthusiasm. If there is any Google benefit almost anyone can replicate, bringing dogs into the workplaces is it.”
General Well-being
Dogs may help feed the soul, but Google wants to make sure that all of their employees are well taken care of. This includes something known as “massage credits” and it’s exactly what you think. If a project is completed and earned a job well done, then the employee will get credits towards a massage. This may seem odd, but the idea of general well-being extends out to other aspects of an employees health. One employee remembers a time when he was injured and couldn’t work. “I got an injury while I was in the U.S. and needed to have three surgeries and follow-ups that in total made me not being able to work for five months. Starting with my Manager and colleague, the entire company was really sympathetic with what happened to me and encouraged me to concentrate on getting healthier. When I came back an extended time I was definitely feeling stressed, but my manager set her expectations fairly, which enabled me to ramp up very quickly and continue where I left off.” Time off during a health issue is expected from most employers, as well as after a new baby is born. However, Google takes that even further.
New Mommy/Daddy Break
While most companies give new mothers about 6 weeks off after giving birth, and some even offer the same for new dads. Google does the same-on steroids. Google gives dads 6 weeks of paid time off, and new mothers 18 weeks off. During this time, stocks are still vesting, checks are still coming in, and at the end of it all, Google gives a baby bonus. “The Goog even gives us a bonus, called ‘baby bonding bucks’ shortly after our baby is born to help with expenses like diapers, takeout, and formula during our leave,” Then when the parent is ready to get back to work, Google has free day care services- on-site.
Tears After Death Caused By Google’s Death Benefits
New life is a beautiful thing, but at some point people experience a death in the family as well. Sometimes accidents happen and if an employee of Google dies while working at Google, the spouse will get Google support on a whole new level. Google will continue to pay the spouse of the employee half of their salary for 10 years. On top of that, the spouse gets all of the stocks and Google keeps them vesting. If the employee had children, Google will give an additional $1000 a month per child. One employee said, “When I mentioned this benefit to my wife, she cried. She actually cried that the company would do that for her if something happened to me.”
Fitness Classes and Gyms Brought to You by Google
One way to prevent death from happening too early, is staying fit and healthy. Google has many ways for employees to get their fitness in for the day. This includes different sports fields, and courts. There’s also scooters and bikes to ride around campuses, as well as showers for after a particularly hard workout.
Working in the past on the Future
Google is known for their advancements in technology, but no one knows that better than an employee who sees it all behind the scenes. As an employee of Google, you’re essentially their beta tester. Testing products and using them throughout your workday is yet another perk of being a Google employee. “Chrome was my primary browser before it was announced. I’ve even used phones, tablets, and chromebooks before they went on sale. It’s fun. I get a sneak peek at the future, and if I give good feedback or get even more involved, I can shape it as well.”
TechStop
While playing with all of this future tech, Google employees may experience issue. Even if it’s not an issue with a product their testing, Google has a team for that. Their known as The TechStop, and they’re essentially Google’s IT team. Even people who work in the tech industry sometimes have issues. Though for the most part it’s something small that they just don’t want to deal with at the time. If that’s the case, they simply just need to call TechStop and the issue will be taken care of as soon as possible.
Hitching a Ride
If you’re an employee in Google’s Mountain View Campus, you can get a free ride to work every day. This has caused some controversy in the surrounding areas, however, it’s still a great benefit for Google’s employees. Each Google bus has WiFi that way employees can get work done on their way to work, or just stream a movie or show on the way.
80/20 is a Rule We All Should Follow
This is a basic rule that Google likes to follow. Essentially it means that Google will allow employees 20% of their time to work on projects not directly related to their main project. As long as the side project benefits Google in some way. The other 80% of an employees time must be focused on their main project.
Extended Time Off
Google may not ask for much while in the office, but they ask for even less for vacation time. Google has a leave policy that overshadows any you may have seen before. Any Google employee can get up to three months unpaid time off. Google encourages employees to take this time off and work on their own projects, spend time with family or work with charity organizations. The entire time an employee is on leave, the health benefits stay in place.
A Job That’s Worth It
Google has plenty of other benefits, and employees seem to be very well taken care of at Google. All of this stems to employees making comments like, “We have an amazing business that keeps growing, that customers and users love, and that provides us with more job stability than almost any other company. It’s not going to make anyone of us rich, but the risk-reward ratio is pretty good, and sustainable.”
Google is in The Blood
Google employees have what they call Xoogler. This is a program for the alumni employees of Google. “Xoogler groups are some of the largest support portals in the world. If you’re a Xoogler, you’ll know someone in any country you visit.”