Reality check

Read this today via Valleywag and it struck me as both sad and absurd at the same time.  Google is finding out that providing free food has become a source of abuse, excessive cost, and distraction.  What a surprise.  Here's a dandy quote from the post:

Some Googlers, we've heard, treated their families to free dinner every night; others took large amounts of food home with them on Friday nights, to last the weekend.

Company provided meals/snacks/beverages are a courtesy not an entitlement.  I am a fan of providing food for meetings, launches, peak work periods or other special occasions but it is not the company's responsibility to feed you, your family, your friends, or anyone else that suits your whim.

One thought on “Reality check

  1. Two things strike me:
    1. consider who ultimately pays for that benefit. in a small business, its likely coming out of the owner’s pocket in terms of less of a distribution bc higher expenses. in a large business, its still the shareholders, but isnt it also the customers who pay via higher costs?
    2. Imagine the shock when /if these employees leave the land of milk and honey and enter the real world. Talk about a serious disconnect.
    I am all for providing food as necessary to permit working meetings, but as you noted, I am running a business for my clients, not a cafeteria for my employees. I’d rather my people work hard and go home and have a life outside of the office.

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