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I don't think it's a bad thing that Google treats each employee differently. There's no reason why contractors should have the same benefits as regular employe

I don't think it's a bad thing that Google treats each employee differently. There's no reason why contractors should have the same benefits as regular employees. Google is a business, not a charity. When Google gives engineers to-go boxes, they don't do it because they like them better than other employees, they do it because it's a competitive market out there, and they want to keep the best. Besides, maybe letting contractors take food home is too expensive for the company. Maybe they couldn't afford free food at all if they give to EVERYONE. If the security guard wants to earn more, he should either start a business on his own or improve his skills to get a better job. People who make this argument tend to make it sound as if it were a discrimination issue, it's not. The reason engineers get paid better isn't because they're white, taller or prettier, it's because they're more prepared and thus add more value to the company.

mikestew 13y ago
> Besides, maybe letting contractors take food home is too expensive for the company. Maybe they couldn't afford free food at all if they give to EVERYONE. It's because a company needs to keep a very clear distinction between employees and not-employees. If a to-go box is an employee benefit, and those boxes are given to contractors who are not employees, then there is the risk that a court will decide that the not-employee is indeed an employee. After that the employee says, "where are my retroactive stock options?" For reference, see Microsoft in the 90s.
d6928230 13y ago
Actually, at the Googleplex, when you see someone boarding an early shuttle with a stack of to-go boxes for their friends and neighbors it's most commonly a contractor.
scelerat 13y ago
> If the security guard wants to earn more, he should either start a business on his own or improve his skills to get a better job. Part of the reason people are engineers is because they've been exposed to good examples and opportunities over a lifetime, not because they are especially or particularly motivated over anyone else. There are all sorts of factors which lead to people having the profession that they do. Work ethic is one among many, and probably not very high on the list. And, being taller and prettier is absolutely a predictor for being better paid. http://www.livescience.com/5552-taller-people-earn-money.html http://www.livescience.com/5552-taller-people-earn-money.htm... http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203687504576655331418204842 http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142405297020368750...

mikestew 13y ago

> Besides, maybe letting contractors take food home is too expensive for the company. Maybe they couldn't afford free food at all if they give to EVERYONE. It's because a company needs to keep a very clear distinction between employees and not-employees. If a to-go box is an employee benefit, and those boxes are given to contractors who are not employees, then there is the risk that a court will decide that the not-employee is indeed an employee. After that the employee says, "where are my retroactive stock options?" For reference, see Microsoft in the 90s.

d6928230 13y ago

Actually, at the Googleplex, when you see someone boarding an early shuttle with a stack of to-go boxes for their friends and neighbors it's most commonly a contractor.

scelerat 13y ago

> If the security guard wants to earn more, he should either start a business on his own or improve his skills to get a better job. Part of the reason people are engineers is because they've been exposed to good examples and opportunities over a lifetime, not because they are especially or particularly motivated over anyone else. There are all sorts of factors which lead to people having the profession that they do. Work ethic is one among many, and probably not very high on the list. And, being taller and prettier is absolutely a predictor for being better paid. http://www.livescience.com/5552-taller-people-earn-money.html http://www.livescience.com/5552-taller-people-earn-money.htm... http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203687504576655331418204842 http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142405297020368750...