Facebook and Googlers don’t like that
Workers at big tech companies like Facebook and Google enjoy perks that are the envy of other industries, but things are slowly changing.
They work in an environment that is not much different from travel: coffee served by the best baristas, massages by professionals, a local medical clinic with highly qualified doctors, always enjoying delicious food.
“The biggest perk of working on Instagram is definitely the food. I don’t actually have to buy it. All three meals are served in the office. Michelin chefs are hired to cook. Food. Kristen Nino de Guzman, a former TikTok employee and Instagram, described the former company.
Google employee Kenneth Wax said he was impressed with the company’s entertainment. In the office he can play bowling, billiards, watch TV, he has a wine cellar that you can enjoy at any time. On weekends, he still goes to the office to work, eats a snack, sits in a massage chair and relaxes. “I don’t even want to go home,” Wax said.
Dropbox is a place where employees appreciate benefits. In the dining room at Tak Shop, anyone can enjoy the company’s bulgogi, grilled hibachi fish and tataki beef sushi anytime.
But earlier this year, things got tougher. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that it will discontinue its free in-house laundry service. Meanwhile, Alphabet is no longer offering free lunches, and fitness classes led by top experts are also on the wane.
Facebook employees at the Menlo Park office. See: glass door
“They cut it off piece by piece. I think ‘death’ will come, but not all at once, but gradually, in a thousand little bits.” Resolving differences affects our morale, the overall attitude of the company, and the safety of managers and employees.”
Recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also said to be losing patience. Last month it suggested that the year-round policy of the compensatory leave scheme should continue until 2023 during the pandemic. “Mark said to work more and rest less, but people are too tired,” said a staffer who attended the meeting. “It’s great when a company like Meta likes you. It’s bad when it’s gone. You can be seen as a robot competitor. I wonder what it’s like at the top. It’s technologically rich. Has it outperformed humans ?”
Prosperity over the years is one of the things that help tech companies attract talent. “Perks are definitely one of the reasons someone applies for a job. Even when trying to decide between two similar companies, merits are the deciding factor,” said one of the insiders. But when they lose their rights, they also want to leave.
But according to Guzman, tech workers are loving a new niche post-pandemic: remote work. Google and Apple currently require employees to come into the office three days a week, while Meta allows employees to come back full-time or work remotely if needed.
“The work culture has changed. People prefer to work remotely or coordinate with the company several days a week. They’re more comfortable,” Guzman commented. “Office-related perks aren’t that important these days.
Bao Lam (Consequences New York Post)