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It's important to keep in mind that major tech companies also sometimes offer medical services like "freezing egg cells" which literally serve them no other pur

by hnbad 5y ago

It's important to keep in mind that major tech companies also sometimes offer medical services like "freezing egg cells" which literally serve them no other purpose than encouraging women to delay family planning and spend more of their young adult life working for them. Google doesn't want you to leave for two to three years to raise your kids. Google wants you (as a woman) to work yourself to the bone into your 30s and then either drop out over reduced performance from a burnout or take your family leave and leave the industry forever. Or alternatively, not to take your leave and instead use the free child care to maintain the illusion that you still get a fulfilling family life while living for the company.

LatteLazy 5y ago
I don't think that's fair. Google doesn't have to do anything for its US workers. They can work you to the bone, not pay for eggs to be frozen and tell anyone who gets pregnant to be back at their desk the same day or not come back. The fact they choose to do anything shows at least some degree of decency. I'm sure there is a degree of calculation there too (we don't want to lose 30-something women who are skilled and well integrated because they want kids). But it's still positive and generous.
- hnbad 5y ago
  It's not decency, it's advertising. Google has a carefully cultivated public image of being the place to be. There's a reason people talk about "FANG" (with various extra letters depending on who you're talking to exactly) and it's not just salary brackets. It's not generous, it's strategic. All the perks companies like Google offer are carefully optimized to increase productive time in the short term and extend the duration of that short term as much as possible. Only as you rise through the ranks does mid and long term become relevant and then they have perks to address those factors as well. But at no point is a company purposefully being generous except to extract as much value out of employees as possible. The purpose of a company is to maximize shareholder value, not to make employees happy.

by hnbad 5y ago

LatteLazy 5y ago

I don't think that's fair. Google doesn't have to do anything for its US workers. They can work you to the bone, not pay for eggs to be frozen and tell anyone who gets pregnant to be back at their desk the same day or not come back. The fact they choose to do anything shows at least some degree of decency. I'm sure there is a degree of calculation there too (we don't want to lose 30-something women who are skilled and well integrated because they want kids). But it's still positive and generous.

hnbad 5y ago
It's not decency, it's advertising. Google has a carefully cultivated public image of being the place to be. There's a reason people talk about "FANG" (with various extra letters depending on who you're talking to exactly) and it's not just salary brackets. It's not generous, it's strategic. All the perks companies like Google offer are carefully optimized to increase productive time in the short term and extend the duration of that short term as much as possible. Only as you rise through the ranks does mid and long term become relevant and then they have perks to address those factors as well. But at no point is a company purposefully being generous except to extract as much value out of employees as possible. The purpose of a company is to maximize shareholder value, not to make employees happy.