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As Christmas Bonus, Google Hands Out "Dogfood"
theodp writes "You know times are tough when the best place to work in America replaces holiday bonuses with a request for unpaid labor. Blaming the economic crisis, Google management has canceled the traditional cash holiday bonus — reportedly as much as $20K-$30K per Googler — and substituted an unlocked Google Android cell phone, retail price $400. An accompanying email calls for employees to celebrate the 'chance for us to once again dogfood a product and make it even better!'" Update: 12/23 01:09 GMT by KD : A reader pointed out that comments to the article note a couple of inaccuracies: the Android phone being offered is an unlocked dev model, which goes for $400; and the reporter may have confused holiday bonuses with performance bonuses. The former have traditionally been in the range of $1,000, according to two comments.
Google has been cutting back on perks all year. They haven't had any layoffs yet, but only because they've been canceling contractors. There's a reasonably chance they'll have to reduce employee head count next year.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
I totally agree!
You naysayers and pessimists! How about instead looking around and seeing a company that still gives a Christmas bonus to it's employees - and congratulate them. A nice shiny new cellphone that you can do anything with is still a nice gift. Yes, it might not be as good as getting a few grand, but looking around at the financial state of the world at the moment, getting a phone might be a heck of a lot better than getting shit-canned as so many banking employees are looking at right now.
In other news, how many people mocking this gift today are actually getting something BETTER given to them as a Christmas bonus?
The company I currently work for combines a short term incentive plan/bonus into the package, and yes, the bonus can be easily around 15K per year - but this is part of the package when you sign up. Apart from that, other companies that I have worked for have given out the following:
1) A $7 fruit cake.
2) A nice christmas party with around $50 bartab for each person.
3) A cruise on the harbour with a very nice dinner payed for by the company.
4) Nothing.
Looking back on those, I wouldn't have minded getting a (by all accounts) pretty decent phone.
Moved to http://soylentnews.org/. You are invited to join us too!
'cute pet names' for employees went out the window years ago.
You've never been to a strip club haven't you?
Make SELinux enforcing again!
but in a slowing economy, advertising budgets are going to be one of the last to be completely eliminated in hopes of attracting more customers.
I don't think you've ever worked in an advertising-related field. Advertising is often the "canary in the coalmine" - when things are going bad, advertising is often the first expense to be slashed. When an economy is recovering, advertising is often the first to benefit.
... and then they built the supercollider.