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Searching for Perks
You can't open a newspaper or magazine these days without reading a glowing profile of Google. Fortune says it's not a bad place to work. And I think The New York Times has embedded reporters inside Google's offices.
Here are some of the perks enjoyed by Google employees:
- Five free WiFi-enabled buses to transport employees to the Googleplex in Mountain View, California
- Free car washes and oil changes for those who drive
- $5,000 towards the purchase of a hybrid car
- Free use of on-site laundry rooms
- Free detergent
- Free food, from quail to M&M's
- Reimbursements of up to $500 in takeout expenses after you have a child
But like I said, these facts and figures are being reported everywhere. So let's use generous Google as a jumping off point to discuss the other end of the perk spectrum. What's the most half-assed, uninspiring perk you've ever been offered?
For me, it was permission to see the dentist. A few jobs ago, a co-worker broke a tooth at lunch. He emailed our department to say he was going to the dentist. Another co-worker replied to all, saying we couldn't just pick up and leave in the middle of the day -- "that's what nights and weekends are for." And if we wanted to "run errands," we had to dip into our vacation time. This person worked nowhere near human resources.
A third email, from HR, said if one of us were to crack a tooth, we could, in fact, leave to get it fixed. We all felt pretty great about our place of work that day.
Can you top that?