4 ms·

Point taken, but how is badging for meals a ‘facepalm’? Re: decorations, https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/10/04/google-seattle-halloween-cemetery/ https://www

Point taken, but how is badging for meals a ‘facepalm’? Re: decorations, https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/10/04/google-seattle-halloween-cemetery/ https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/10/04/google-seattle-hall... ?

rachelbythebay 7y ago
This, from 2009? "Badging today will allocate funds for your meal tomorrow". And I wrote about it eight years ago. https://rachelbythebay.com/w/2011/10/17/badging/ https://rachelbythebay.com/w/2011/10/17/badging/
- joshuamorton 7y ago
  I'm still unclear on what the badge for meal thing was, but apparently its come and gone before. It was apparently a thing in 09, went away, came back sometime in like 2013 or 14, went away again, and is now again a requirement (and has been since sometime in 2018). It didn't spell any particular doom either of the other times, and other than some dubious tax related stuff, i'm not sure what the impact is/will be. Seems like it will take more years to find out.
  - gerbler 7y ago
    The badging for meals is to show to the IRS that it's not a taxable perk. AFAIK it's just something that happens in the US.
    - tomnj 7y ago
      Out of curiosity, why wouldn’t that be a taxable perk? (Not that I think tax codes make any sense)
      - CydeWeys 7y ago
        If it's provided because of its benefit to the employer, it's not taxable (same reason company computers are a business expense and not a taxable perk to the employee). The logic is that the company gets benefits from providing meals that exceed the costs, e.g. shorter lunch breaks since employees don't even have to leave the building. And given that meals can be provided at scale for under $10/head, then even shaving 5 minutes off a lunch break is worth it at Big Tech compensation levels. There's also benefits to having employees eat more meals with other employees, and thus some work gets done over lunch.
  - TheReveller 7y ago
    It's only for IRS reporting purposes, nothing more.
- bowmessage 7y ago
  I might be slow, but I still don't see reason to worry there. What happened in the proceeding months / years that was forewarned by this whiteboard / practice?

rachelbythebay 7y ago

This, from 2009? "Badging today will allocate funds for your meal tomorrow". And I wrote about it eight years ago. https://rachelbythebay.com/w/2011/10/17/badging/ https://rachelbythebay.com/w/2011/10/17/badging/

joshuamorton 7y ago
I'm still unclear on what the badge for meal thing was, but apparently its come and gone before. It was apparently a thing in 09, went away, came back sometime in like 2013 or 14, went away again, and is now again a requirement (and has been since sometime in 2018). It didn't spell any particular doom either of the other times, and other than some dubious tax related stuff, i'm not sure what the impact is/will be. Seems like it will take more years to find out.
- gerbler 7y ago
  The badging for meals is to show to the IRS that it's not a taxable perk. AFAIK it's just something that happens in the US.
  - tomnj 7y ago
    Out of curiosity, why wouldn’t that be a taxable perk? (Not that I think tax codes make any sense)
    - CydeWeys 7y ago
      If it's provided because of its benefit to the employer, it's not taxable (same reason company computers are a business expense and not a taxable perk to the employee). The logic is that the company gets benefits from providing meals that exceed the costs, e.g. shorter lunch breaks since employees don't even have to leave the building. And given that meals can be provided at scale for under $10/head, then even shaving 5 minutes off a lunch break is worth it at Big Tech compensation levels. There's also benefits to having employees eat more meals with other employees, and thus some work gets done over lunch.
- TheReveller 7y ago
  It's only for IRS reporting purposes, nothing more.
bowmessage 7y ago
I might be slow, but I still don't see reason to worry there. What happened in the proceeding months / years that was forewarned by this whiteboard / practice?