This article discusses a report about a Google employee in Europe who allegedly works only seven hours a week and struggles to use all of their vacation time. It also touches on job security differences between Europe and North America, compensation practices, and the difficulty of Google interviews.
Google Employee Working Minimal Hours
The report highlights a Google employee who claims to work only five to seven hours per week. Despite this minimal work effort, their annual performance rating is very poor (SI, significantly inferior). This employee spends most of their time in the office eating snacks and enjoying the perks of Google's workplace.
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The employee's European salary is considered good.
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Their boss is reportedly direct and constructive in their feedback.
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The employee admits to loving their job and the extensive holiday time it provides.
Job Security Differences: Europe vs. North America
Difficulty of Termination in Europe
The employee's continued employment is attributed to the difficulty of firing employees in Europe. The boss, while disliking the employee's performance, is unable to terminate their employment and can only hope they leave voluntarily. It's suggested that companies must be careful when hiring in Europe, as it can be difficult to remove underperforming employees. This ease of not being terminated, contributes to a perception that European colleagues might seem more "flat" or laid-back.
Easier Termination in North America
In contrast, it's noted that firing employees in the United States is generally more casual, although different states have different regulations. While "at-will" employment allows for termination at any time, larger companies often offer severance packages. Canadian and US recruitment carries less risk due to easier termination procedures compared to Europe.
Vacation Time Comparison
The discussion includes a comparison of vacation time offered by major companies in Europe, Canada, and the United States.
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European vacation time seems to be more generous than in Canada.
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Google Canada offers around 15 days of vacation.
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Meta provides approximately 21 days of paid leave globally.
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Microsoft recently increased their vacation time from 15 to 20 days.
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Amazon is believed to offer around 15 days.
The Canadian legal minimum is 10 days, but many IT companies offer 15, with better companies offering 20 or more.
Compensation and Layoffs
Limited Performance-Based Bonus Differences
Performance-based bonuses in the US are typically around 10% to 20% of salary, equivalent to one or two months' pay. This relatively small difference might not significantly incentivize higher performance.
Recent Layoffs and Google's Practices
Recent massive layoffs have largely bypassed Europe due to strict labor laws. The article mentions a case reported on July 9th, where a Google employee on sick leave was allegedly fired due to "business needs," despite the team still recruiting. This contrasts with Google's voluntary resignation plan, which offered 20,000 employees a chance to leave with a severance package (14 weeks of pay plus additional benefits). There are suggestions that this voluntary plan was influenced by Google's union.
Severance Packages in the US and China
The article contrasts North American severance packages (often N+1, meaning one week of pay for every month of service) with more generous packages seen in China (N+4 or more, plus additional benefits and bonuses).
Google Interviews and Workplace Culture
Difficulty of Google Interviews
Google interviews are described as notoriously difficult, potentially the most challenging among major tech companies. The difficulty can also depend on the interviewer and the specific questions asked.
Changing Workplace Dynamics
There are observations that many companies are reducing management levels and increasing the number of employees managed by each manager. This shift aims to improve efficiency and avoid one-to-one management structures. The article references a past perception of IBM as a "nursing home" with employees idling, contrasted with experiences in some groups requiring 13-hour workdays. The implication is that workplace culture and workload can vary significantly even within the same company.
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