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So I was formally employed and received salary for another month, although I didn't and couldn't work during it. Google also produced a stellar refere

by pen2l 11y ago

So I was formally employed and received salary for another month, although I didn't and couldn't work during it. Google also produced a stellar reference letter for future employers, without mentioning any of this. Woah. That's pretty respectable. Mad props to Google for going the extra mile to not destroy people's careers.

jzwinck 11y ago
They do it to reduce their exposure to lawsuits from former employees. And it cheapens all their reference letters, in particular the ones given to employees that actually got along well there.
- fredkbloggs 11y ago
  Yeah. I can certainly understand avoiding lawsuits, but they don't need to provide positive letters to do that. Just doing/saying nothing at all is sufficient.
- hiq 11y ago
  He had been working there for five years before his burnout, so I'd say he got along well overall.
ryandrake 11y ago
I came to the comments section to post something similar. This is probably the most humane, respectable, and generous firing I've ever read. It's left me with a much more favorable view of Google. I mean, he had the entire PIP period plus a month of salary to go find another job. Incredible! I've seen people find out they were fired when their badge stopped working.
- djhworld 11y ago
  It's mentioned elsewhere that this guy worked for Google Switzerland, who have different employment laws to say the US.
- ChuckMcM 11y ago
  Employment laws in Switzerland. I knew a few people who were just walked to the door with their copy of the signed non-disclosure and a page explaining COBRA benefits in the US. That said, having had to fire people in my career it is always a lose-lose type situation, the manager is losing what ever help they were getting from the person and the person is losing their job.
volaski 11y ago
"In private discussions I was asked why don't I leave by myself, to which I answered that I'm happy with my Google salary. " He basically stopped working, and when asked why stay and take the huge salary from google when he's not working he said he's satisfied with the salary, and he was given plenty of opportunities. No wonder his managers didn't like him. There are tons of other more competent people who make the same salary as him working hard. It's not a matter of whether the company treats people like a "resource" or not. If I had a guy on my team who doesn't work at all and sticks around AND is proud of it for some reason I would be pissed. I'm sure not just his manager but all other colleagues probably would have been super pissed if he acted like he described in the answer. For some reason everyone on the thread is talking like Google is in the wrong and he's being noble for sharing it non-anonymously, but I don't really get what's so noble about this. If I was that burned out, I would have asked for a hiatus. And even after that if I can't focus, I would still try hard, and when asked why I don't just leave, I would take that as a sign and leave. I would definitely not say "I'm happy with my Google salary". Normal people don't feel OK with taking someone else's money while not doing anything, and "being burned out" is not an excuse.
- jkot 11y ago
  Why do you assume he stopped working? He could be working harder than ever, but his productivity dropped. Also quitting a job is not always an option, there are implications on unemployment support, health insurance etc.. Some people even face a jail, if they quit their job.
  - PopeOfNope 11y ago
    Why do you assume he stopped working? He could be working harder than ever, but his productivity dropped. That's one of the cruelties of burnout. It feels like you're working harder than you ever have in your life, but you have nothing to show for it.
- lacksconfidence 11y ago
  It didn't read that way to me. It read as if Google had contractual obligations for how they should part ways if Google felt he wasn't performing. He wanted Google to fire him and keep their end of the contractual obligation.

by pen2l 11y ago

jzwinck 11y ago

They do it to reduce their exposure to lawsuits from former employees. And it cheapens all their reference letters, in particular the ones given to employees that actually got along well there.

fredkbloggs 11y ago
Yeah. I can certainly understand avoiding lawsuits, but they don't need to provide positive letters to do that. Just doing/saying nothing at all is sufficient.
hiq 11y ago
He had been working there for five years before his burnout, so I'd say he got along well overall.

ryandrake 11y ago

I came to the comments section to post something similar. This is probably the most humane, respectable, and generous firing I've ever read. It's left me with a much more favorable view of Google. I mean, he had the entire PIP period plus a month of salary to go find another job. Incredible! I've seen people find out they were fired when their badge stopped working.

djhworld 11y ago
It's mentioned elsewhere that this guy worked for Google Switzerland, who have different employment laws to say the US.
ChuckMcM 11y ago
Employment laws in Switzerland. I knew a few people who were just walked to the door with their copy of the signed non-disclosure and a page explaining COBRA benefits in the US. That said, having had to fire people in my career it is always a lose-lose type situation, the manager is losing what ever help they were getting from the person and the person is losing their job.

volaski 11y ago

"In private discussions I was asked why don't I leave by myself, to which I answered that I'm happy with my Google salary. " He basically stopped working, and when asked why stay and take the huge salary from google when he's not working he said he's satisfied with the salary, and he was given plenty of opportunities. No wonder his managers didn't like him. There are tons of other more competent people who make the same salary as him working hard. It's not a matter of whether the company treats people like a "resource" or not. If I had a guy on my team who doesn't work at all and sticks around AND is proud of it for some reason I would be pissed. I'm sure not just his manager but all other colleagues probably would have been super pissed if he acted like he described in the answer. For some reason everyone on the thread is talking like Google is in the wrong and he's being noble for sharing it non-anonymously, but I don't really get what's so noble about this. If I was that burned out, I would have asked for a hiatus. And even after that if I can't focus, I would still try hard, and when asked why I don't just leave, I would take that as a sign and leave. I would definitely not say "I'm happy with my Google salary". Normal people don't feel OK with taking someone else's money while not doing anything, and "being burned out" is not an excuse.

jkot 11y ago
Why do you assume he stopped working? He could be working harder than ever, but his productivity dropped. Also quitting a job is not always an option, there are implications on unemployment support, health insurance etc.. Some people even face a jail, if they quit their job.
- PopeOfNope 11y ago
  Why do you assume he stopped working? He could be working harder than ever, but his productivity dropped. That's one of the cruelties of burnout. It feels like you're working harder than you ever have in your life, but you have nothing to show for it.
lacksconfidence 11y ago
It didn't read that way to me. It read as if Google had contractual obligations for how they should part ways if Google felt he wasn't performing. He wanted Google to fire him and keep their end of the contractual obligation.