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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.
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