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Google Restricts Employee Travel to ‘Business Critical’ Trips

Google is clamping down on employee travel, telling some senior managers late last week to limit travel to “business critical” trips, according to an email to managers that was viewed by The Information. The move is a sign of how tech’s once free-spending ways are being discarded as even the most profitable and cash-rich companies take steps to operate more efficiently amid a more difficult economy.

The company told managers it will hold a “high bar” for what should be considered business critical travel. Social functions, full-team offsites and employee travel to in-person events that have a virtual option shouldn’t be approved by Google managers, the email said.

A message from our CEO

A hybrid approach to work

May 05, 2021

[[read-time]] min read

Sundar sent the following email to Google employees earlier today. 

Hi Googlers,

We’ve spent the last year focused on supporting employees during the pandemic. I hope the extra benefits such as Carer’s Leave, the work-from-home allowance, the extra reset days, and the ability to work from wherever you need have been helpful in getting through this tough time.

And we’re not through it yet. It’s heartbreaking to see COVID surging in places like  India, Brazil, and many others around the world. If you live in one of these places, please focus on taking care of yourselves and your loved ones right now. We are here to support however we can. 

In other areas, conditions are less dire and people are beginning to open up their lives and think about returning to the office. In fact, in places where we’ve been able to reopen Google offices in a voluntary capacity, we’ve seen nearly 60% of Googlers choosing to come back to the office. 

For more than 20 years, our employees have been coming to the office to solve interesting problems — in a cafe, around a whiteboard, or during a pickup game of beach volleyball or cricket. Our campuses have been at the heart of our Google community and the majority of our employees still want to be on campus some of the time. Yet many of us would also enjoy the flexibility of working from home a couple days of week, spending time in another city for part of the year, or even moving there permanently. Google’s future workplace will have room for all of these possibilities. 

Over the last year, a team within REWS has been reimagining a hybrid workplace to help us collaborate effectively across many work environments. They’re testing new multi-purpose offices and private workspaces, and working with teams to develop advanced video technology that creates greater equity between employees in the office and those joining virtually. All of these efforts will help us work with greater flexibility and choice once we’re able to return to our offices globally. 

One of the spaces being tested by Google's Real Estate and Workplace Services team is "Camp Charleston," an outdoor space for holding larger team gatherings.

"Team Pods" spaces can be reconfigured in multiple ways to support focused work and collaboration.

"Campfire" is another experiment being tested to help ensure equal participation among those in person and remote.

That flexibility will come in a few different forms — and your product areas and functions will share more details on all of these changes by mid-June. Here are the key principles: 

A more flexible work week: 

We’ll move to a hybrid work week where most Googlers spend approximately three days in the office and two days wherever they work best. Since in-office time will be focused on collaboration, your product areas and functions will help decide which days teams will come together in the office. There will also be roles that may need to be on site more than three days a week due to the nature of the work. 

More choice around where you work: 

More locations globally: One of Google's biggest advantages is our global footprint. We are investing in many great communities globally — which creates more opportunity for employees to move around throughout their careers. By mid-June your PAs and functions will come back with a process by which you can apply to move to another office. In granting approvals, they’ll take into account whether business goals can be met in the new location and whether your team has the right infrastructure in the site to support your work. 

Remote work: We’ll also offer opportunities for you to apply for completely remote work (away from your team or office) based on your role and team needs. Before the pandemic, we had thousands of people working in locations separate from their core teams. I fully expect those numbers to increase in the coming months as we develop more remote roles, including fully all-remote sub teams. You’ll be able to apply for remote work within your product area or function. As with location transfers, your leads will evaluate whether remote work can support the goals of the team and business. Whether you choose to transfer to a different office or opt for completely remote work, your compensation will be adjusted according to your new location. 

Taken together these changes will result in a workforce where around 60% of Googlers are coming together in the office a few days a week, another 20% are working in new office locations, and 20% are working from home. 

More flexibility for your life: 

Work-from-anywhere weeks: Going forward, Googlers will be able to temporarily work from a location other than their main office for up to 4 weeks per year (with manager approval). The goal here is to give everyone more flexibility around summer and holiday travel. 

Focus time: Product areas and functions will also offer focus hours so we limit internal meetings during times when people need to be heads down on projects.

Reset days: We’ll continue offering extra “reset” days to help employees recharge during the pandemic in 2021. Our next global day off will be on Friday, May 28 (or the following work day if you’re already not working on the 28th). Please enjoy it!

I know this past year hasn’t been easy for anyone and many Googlers are still suffering as the pandemic wears on. We will get through it — together — as a Google community. 

I am profoundly optimistic that once we do, we will be able to come back together in our offices to see all the people we have missed. And we’ll be able to work together in entirely new ways that improve both our work and our lives. 

The future of work is flexibility. The changes above are a starting point to help us do our very best work and have fun doing it. 

 Look forward to continuing the conversation with all of you. 

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Benefits at Google

Hear from Googlers themselves how we care for our teams both in and out of work.

Rome, Italy

Health and Wellness

With healthcare benefits designed to fit your needs, we’re focused on keeping you and the people you love healthy and happy.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
• Employee assistance programs focused on mental health
• Workplace accommodations for physical or mental health concerns
• Onsite wellness centers
• Access to mental health apps
• Second medical opinion for you and your loved ones
• Medical advocacy program for transgender employees

Austin, Texas, USA

Financial Wellbeing

Googlers are our greatest investment, so we go beyond a paycheck to invest in your future and financial wellbeing.

• Competitive compensation
• Regular bonus and equity refresh opportunities
• Generous 401(k) and regional retirement plans
• Annual cross-company pay equity analysis and adjustments
• Student loan reimbursement
• 1-on-1 financial coaching

Sydney, Australia

Flexibility & Time OFf

With built-in flexibility and meaningful time off, we want to help you make the most of your time both in and out of the office.

• Paid time off, including vacation, bereavement, jury duty, sick leave, parental leave, disability, holidays, and global reset/wellbeing days
• Hybrid work model — two work from home days each week for most roles
• Remote work opportunities available
• Four “work from anywhere” weeks per year
• Part-time work and job-sharing options

Sarah & Evan

Family Support and Care

When it comes to growing your family or caring for your loved ones, you have our full support.

• Fertility and growing family support
• Parental leave and baby bonding leave
• Caregiver leave
• Backup childcare
• Survivor income benefit

New York, New York, USA

Community and Personal Development

At Google, you’ll find a range of opportunities to grow, connect, and give back at every stage of your career.

• Educational reimbursement
• Googler-to-Googler peer learning and coaching platform
• Donation matching and time off to volunteer
• Employee resource groups for underrepresented employees and their allies
• Internal Googler community groups and local culture clubs

Mountain View, California, USA

Googley Extras

We make your experience uniquely Google with programming, spaces, and resources that support your productivity and wellbeing.

• Inspiring spaces to work, recharge, and collaborate with fellow Googlers
• Top technology, including internet reimbursement and company-paid mobile phone
• On-site meals and snacks
• Fitness centers, massage programs, and ergonomic support
• At-home fitness, wellbeing, and cooking classes
• Art programs, Talks @ Google , legal services… and of course, Dooglers

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Google’s Growing Impact on Travel in 2022: New Skift Research

Skift Research

April 27th, 2022 at 10:30 AM EDT

The metasearch wars are drawing to a close and Google looks to be winning.

The travel industry was top of mind when Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported first quarter earnings on Tuesday night. Philipp Schindler, senior vice president and chief business officer, highlighted the travel sector as the second largest contributor to growth in Google’s advertising business. In the first quarter of this year, Schindler reported, travel search activity was even higher than it was in the first quarter of 2019, well before the pandemic set in.

Travel is roaring back. And “what’s our Google strategy” is once again a key question that every travel executive needs to be asking. As the travel industry rebuilds, Skift Research revisits this critical topic . We identify five big open questions about the role of Google in travel that arose before and during the pandemic. 

The Key Questions for Google and Metasearch 

• Can online travel agencies use the pandemic to reset their relationships with Google?
• Can travel metasearch diversify away from booking site advertising?
• Can Google bring hotel brands onto their metasearch platform?
• Can travel-specific metasearch beat back Google?
• What is the future of online travel in a Google world?

With 2022 the year of travel’s recovery , Skift Research believes we can start to answer these questions. This report will delve into more detail on each question, but in short, we believe that Google’s influence on the travel industry has only expanded during the pandemic and the search platform is now firmly entrenched at the top of the travel marketing funnel. The last decade saw fierce battles for market share and user growth. But now we believe the metasearch wars are ending; Google is winning. 

What You’ll Learn From This Report

• How much the travel industry spends on Google.
• How Google Travel’s share of user traffic has evolved during the pandemic.
• The different approaches that Expedia, Booking, and Airbnb are taking to spending on Google. 
• The influence that Google Travel has on hotel and airline bookings. 
• Why we believe that the online travel industry needs to redesign its consumer value proposition.

A Deep Dive Into Google’s Impact on Travel 2022

Purchase this report, or subscribe to Skift Research to read our latest analysis on the performance of the travel industry.

This is the latest in a series of reports and data products that Skift Research puts out to help you analyze the biggest trends in the travel industry. Tap into the opinions and insights of our seasoned network of staffers and contributors. More than 200 hours of desk research, data collection, and/or analysis goes into each report.

By subscribing to Skift Research, you will gain access to our entire vault of reports conducted on topics ranging from technology to marketing strategy to deep dives on key travel brands. You will also be able to access our proprietary Skift Travel Health Index, Skift Travel Company Tracker, Hotel Tech Benchmark, and data from our regular traveler surveys.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Google Benefits

.css-2v4ow{color:hsl(41deg 100% 37%);} .css-1di7zit{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentcolor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 200ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0ms;transition:fill 200ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0ms;font-size:1.25rem;margin-right:16px;} unique to google.

Multiple bundles of fertility treatments (including elective egg freezing), fertility consultations, and access to high quality providers.

$500 towards the cost of take-out or delivery meals, house cleaning, or diaper services after the arrival of a new baby.

Employees and their accompanying families are covered for international personal travel, 365 days a year.

Subsidized on-site chair and/or table massage

10 per month, can be used by anyone in your household.

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5 days a week

Basic coverage at 3 times your annual base salary including commissions, to a maximum of $2,500,000. Survivor Income Benefit which provides spouses/partners with 50% of, your income up to 10 years (maximum $12,500 per month) and children up to $1,000 per month.

100% coverage for preventive and diagnostic services and 60% coverage for major benefits.

Exams, contacts, lenses and frames are generously covered with low copays.

STD (up to 180 days), LTD up to 60% of your monthly earnings (maximum $15,000 per month).

On-site physicians and/or nurses in Mountain View, Los Angeles, Kirkland, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Coverage for personal accidents with a lump sum of up to 3 times your annual salary, to a maximum of $2,500,000.

$1,000 per year contributed by employer. $2,000 for family coverage

5 days a week. In some locations

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Free laundry

$70 per month

Reimbursement of up to $40k of surrogacy fees

Parental Leave and Baby Bonding Bucks benefits also apply to adoptions. Up to $25,000.

$10,000. From VA

Google expects that 60% of its employees will be on-site for a few days a week, with 20% working in new office locations and 20% working from home. Work-from-anywhere: 4 weeks per year. Google also offers opportunities to apply for completely remote work.

Partial salary

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Google will match 100% of your student loan contributions up to a $2,500 annual cap, with those contributions applying towards the principal of your student loan

50% match on employee's contribution up to $19,500 Google will match up to the greater of (a) 100% of your contributions up to $3,000 or (b) 50% of your contributions up to the IRS limit per calendar year. Every dollar of the match is fully vested

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2/3 job related, 1/3 personal

Transportation

For full-time employees and interns based in select locations (i.e. US-MTV, US, SVL, USPAO and US-RWC).

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100% match. Up to $10,000 matched

$10 per hour

Up to 8 weeks, as of April 2 2022.

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Take More Vacation Time Off

Home » Latest » 10 Google Employee Perks to Save Money and Take More Vacations

10 Google Employee Perks to Save Money and Take More Vacations

• Time Off Benefits
• By Scott (VacationCounts)

Taking more vacation time off from work means using your paid vacation days plus taking advantage of employee perks . What employee perks am I talking about? Buzzfeed lists 20 companies around the U.S. with amazing perks .

This blog post uses Google Inc. as an example since they are well-known to offer a very generous benefits package . Don’t despair if you don’t work for Google.  You probably have at least a couple of these perks at your company, so here’s how to turn them into more vacations.

1. Free Coffee

I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to spending money on coffee out. All the familiar and trendy coffee shops around town are too enticing, especially first thing in the morning when I really need a cup.

Think about taking advantage of the free or cheap coffee provided at work.  Every time you skip buying coffee is a step closer to your vacation savings goals. We all deserve a treat during the work week, but if you give up your daily coffee expense your savings will grow quickly.

For example here is coffee math for working at Google NYC where Google bought a massive office building in Chelsea . This assumes you buy coffee out five days per week and have 10 holidays and 3 weeks of vacation per year.

• Cappuccino at hipster coffee shop: $4 = Annual cost of $940
• Drip coffee at the self-service deli: $2 = Annual cost of $470

Now if you buy a donut, muffin, or scone with that coffee, the cost goes even higher. The takeaway is to avoid take away coffee when you have free or cheap coffee brewing at the office.  Use that money to increase your vacation budget each week.

2. Free Lunch

OK, free lunch is not a perk many employers offer. However if you are lucky enough to get free or more likely subsidized lunch at the office, turn those savings into vacation money. Think about how much time you spend making and packing lunch for work. Don’t forget to include supermarket shopping time plus waiting in line to pay. Going out for lunch can be an even more expensive habit.

To be real, eating at your own office won’t be as awesome as at the numerous Google HQ cafes . The goal of eating at the office is to have more free time during the workweek and contribute more to your vacation savings account.

Track that time you are no longer spending preparing lunches and re-purpose it as vacation time.  Use it for a stroll in the park, planning an actual trip, or spending more time with family and friends.  Take the money you would have spent on eating out and set up a recurring transfer from your checking account to your online savings account.

3. The Google Shuttle Bus

Who doesn’t love a free ride to work? Employees all across the San Francisco Bay Area can avail of a shuttle bus that goes to their Mountain View headquarters (plus Sunnyvale and San Bruno). I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the ongoing controversy regarding rising housing costs and gentrification in the city of San Francisco. I hope they work together to find a solution which benefits all residents of what is one of the best cities in the world to live in; if only it were more affordable to do so.

What are the pros of free transportation to the office? You can work on the bus to get a jump start on your day and make it more likely you’ll leave work on time. Take advantage of this not-behind-the-wheel time for personal fulfillment like reading, planning travel, or connecting on social media. The money you would have spent on gas and tolls can now be rolled into your vacation fund. Finally to reduce housing costs, you can live farther away in a less expensive area if you are willing to put up with the shuttle bus commute every day.

Hardly anyone can live within walking distance to work. So it is nice to know that many companies are helping the environment by getting cars off the road while delivering their employees safety to work and back home.

4. Travel Insurance and Emergency Assistance

Does your benefit package include travel insurance that can be used for both work and personal trips? Google and many other top employers offer travel evacuation insurance as part of their package of health benefits. If you fall ill while traveling anywhere in the world, this type of coverage will make sure you are transported to a medical facility and home for care and recovery.

If a company provides high-quality health insurance to its staff, adding travel medical coverage along with an emergency evacuation plan makes financial sense. This perk can lead to fewer sick days taken since employees will get the necessary care abroad and be back home as quickly as possible if something should happen.

For those of you that do not have travel medical insurance, it can be purchased for a very reasonable annual cost. I highly recommend it if you take at least one major vacation to a foreign country every year. Don’t confuse this with trip cancellation insurance which is about reimbursing you for pre-paid travel expenses if your plans change. That is typically much more expensive and not as essential for your health and wellness while on vacation.

VacationCounts recommends the well-established international travel medical insurance providers Allianz as well as TravelGuard for global coverage. Or you can search them all and compare via InsureMyTrip.

5. Retirement Savings Match

Finally, an employee perk that you are likely to have in your HR benefits package! Around 80% of full-time employees in the U.S. have access to a 401K retirement savings plan. According to this data, a majority match employee contributions with tax-free employer dollars up to a certain limit. So for example if you contribute 10% of your salary each pay period, your employer may chip-in an additional 5%. With this example for every $100 you contribute, you receive a bonus $50 thrown into the retirement bucket. Make sure to read your HR handbook as 401K matching can come with rules that limit investments or require vesting periods .

By contributing enough of your own money to the 401K plan to get the maximum employer match, you’ll be taking full advantage of this employee perk. Think about the match portion as funds that you would have saved yourself anyway. However instead of having to wait until you reach retirement age, you can spend that percentage on something else.

My suggestion is to decide how much of your company match do you feel comfortable pulling from your paycheck and putting to vacation use. Deposit this fixed amount into your vacation savings account each month. So if you are entitled to a match of $100 each paycheck, consider saving $20 of your own money towards a vacation.  Do remember that your 401K savings will be locked up until you are 65 or older.

6. International Assignments

An entire blog post could be written on the subject of how to get sent on an international assignment and fortunately we wrote about it here on VacationCounts awhile back. Google, like many other global corporations, has offices around the world in what seems like every major city . So what if you live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but want to work in Singapore or London someday? The first step is to scan the job postings for those cities to find out what kind of work happens around the globe. When you are qualified for a similar job in an office overseas, you are in the best position to sell your employer on the idea of a job transfer. Be aware that international assignments are likely to be high in demand and may require knowledge of a foreign language.

Regardless of who you work for when you are interested in an expat assignment, make your interest known. Even after proving that you are the right person for an overseas job assignment, it may require a bit of luck in terms of timing and open positions. Work towards this goal like you would a promotion. So take a look at your internal job board to plan your strategy for making an international assignment a reality.

7. Learning Programs

Today’s job market means that we must always be learning to move up in our own line of work or find a job when times are tough. Smart companies support their employees when they put in the time to acquire new skills. It helps people become more productive in their own job and more likely to stay as promotions are handed out. Does your company cover part of the cost of taking courses at a local college or business school?

When your employer doesn’t have a formal education reimbursement program, ask your manager for individual approval. Check around for local or online college courses to study a foreign language, international business, global team management, or project management. Acquiring new skills can lead to a promotion which might come with a greater number of vacation days in addition to the travel opportunities (see How to Turn a Business Trip into a Weekend Getaway ). If you can prove the performance benefit and long-term commitment to your employer, you are ready to negotiate for this perk.

When evaluating coursework options, consider learning a new language.  It will help you better communicate with staff around the world and can lead to work trips to international offices and conferences. Who knows, it might be your ticket to an all-expenses paid international assignment!

In the meantime, consider learning a language yourself with the help of Rosetta Stone , Pimsleur , or Michel Thomas available via Amazon . I’ve successfully tried all three methods as well as taken beginner courses in German, French, Chinese, and Japanese at local institutions. Your choice of classroom, website, or audio CDs depends on your style of learning so give them a try before you decide.

8. On-site Gym and Wellness

Exercising is an important part of our long-term health, so why not do it while at work? Joining a gym costs money plus you’ll have to travel to and from their facility. It is surprising how few companies offer an on-site gym plus wellness activities such as yoga and massage. Various forms of exercise improve our health and fitness while reducing stress – the kind of stress likely brought about by excessive workloads. As with every employee perk that Google offers, there is a clear business justification too. They’ll save money on health insurance and employees will be less likely to require a sick day when they are energized and fit.

From a vacation perspective better fitness can give you the stamina, flexibility, and strength to take on any type of travel and adventure challenge. If all goes well, you’ll never feel too old to continue traveling and conquering nature’s wonders.

A place to exercise at your place of employment will make it that much more likely you’ll actually do a workout before, during, or after the work day. When your office is too small to justify a fitness center on-site, ask your employer to contribute toward gym membership as a way to help lower health insurance costs and reduce sick day usage.

9. Employee Discounts

Local retail businesses often give discounts to the big employers in their area. It is an excellent promotional tool since the discount feels like an employee perk. The key is to remember to use them before they expire. I often forget about employee discounts until it is too late but I don’t want to miss out on specials at local restaurants, vacation rental memberships, or family ticket packages to theme parks.

To remember not to forget, track all your employee discounts in a document or spreadsheet. Flag the ones that you are likely to use or sort them in priority order. Set a calendar reminder if a deal is time sensitive and can be used in conjunction with an upcoming vacation.

Saving money on everyday expenses means that you’ll have more money to spend going on vacation. Plus these employee discount offers often involve travel and leisure activities, stretching your vacation dollar even further.

10. Google Apps Expertise

Employees at Google are surrounded by online apps and productivity tools. They quickly become experts in using Google to get things done. Time management and productivity is one more way to improve your work-life-vacation balance. Leverage free cloud software such as Gmail, Calendar, Google Docs & Sheets, Google Drive, Voice, and Keep to get more done and maximize your time off.

Fortunately for all of us that do not work for Google, these same apps are available for free on desktop and mobile. So you can be an expert in Google Apps at home as well as at the office. Every one of these online applications are built with speed and user-friendliness in mind. Their world-class engineers and designers are constantly enhancing the features to save their employees and us in the process, time and money.

Want to track your vacation savings and plan that next trip? Use Google cloud software to share your vacation documents with your entire family or travel partners to collaborate on where to go and what to do on vacation. Hold a video chat “Hangout” with your travel buddies and edit your vacation itinerary together in real-time. Store all your travel documents securely in Drive for access on the road. Post your photos in a travel blog to share your experience ad advice on the free Google Blogger platform.

Of course you don’t need to be a Google employee to take advance of this “perk.” Just start using G Suite as a paying customer to bring your time management tools for work to your home computer.

GSuite – Apps for Work – is the corporate solution that Google offers so take this suggestion to your IT team (unless you are the boss). Deploy GSuite at your office by licensing accounts every employees. The professional version provides much more storage and improved sharing, security, and customer support.

VacationCounts Summary

Compare your list of benefits with the Life at Google Benefits page to make a list of what you are missing out on. Talk to your colleagues about the best way to ask your employer for the perks that will have the greatest impact on productivity and work-life balance. While Google is ranked #1 for the top companies for compensation and benefits (Glassdoor study), they are sorely missing from the list of the top 25 companies for work-life balance .

So should you switch jobs to gain the type of employee benefits that lead to more time off from work or should you work for the company that takes work-life balance seriously? Can you have both in one employer? For career inspiration read about these Silicon Valley companies which offer the “coolest perks” including unlimited vacation time (it does exist!).

Add your comments below as to how your company ranks for vacation perks and work-life balance. Where should VacationCounts readers apply for their next job so they can enjoy more time off from work to live life to the fullest?

• Employee Benefits , Startup Benefits , Travel Perks , Work-Life-Vacation

Scott (VacationCounts)

3 responses.

Educating your employees on the differences between these options is part of your responsibility as a plan sponsor. It’s one you must take seriously as for many, these investment accounts make up the entirety of their retirement savings, meaning they not only take a large amount of an employee’s current earned income, but they build the foundation to their retirement plan later on.

Great write up, Scott!!…I’m 100% sold on working for Google!! When can I start? 🙂

Be careful what you wish for 😉 Sorry for missing your comment when it was posted. It’s great to know that more and more major tech companies are embracing benefits that help employees balance work, life, and vacation.

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We travel to satisfy our curiosity. To discover something new and make connections. Our travel experiences are essential to who we are.

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It’s time to think about how our travel impacts the world around us

Greenhouse gas emissions, sometimes called carbon emissions or CO2e (carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas equivalents), include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and others.

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Our travel choices, together with changes in the industry, help build a climate-friendly future

Flying for two hours instead of six saves about 65% emissions per passenger

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Choose where to go

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS

Explore nearby

Local adventures

Explore what’s around you. Visit a local museum or park you’ve never been to.

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When planning your next trip, consider traveling shorter distances. Explore a neighboring city, state, or country.

Further away

When visiting somewhere further away, travel direct or go less often to reduce your travel time

Choose how to get there

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY TRANSPORT

Alternatives to flying

When burning fuel, planes produce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas equivalents (CO2e). Flying less, or not at all, means you avoid these emissions. This reduces the impact that your travel has on the environment.

Catch a train or bus

Short-haul flights are especially inefficient. Consider replacing shorter flights with a train or bus ride. Over a similar distance, trains and buses produce less emissions than planes because they burn less fuel. Electric trains or buses that use carbon-free energy sources are especially climate-friendly because they don’t burn fossil fuels.

Take a road trip

Compared to taking a bus, driving causes more emissions per person because a car carries fewer passengers. Even so, driving with passengers is a more climate-friendly travel choice than flying.

4 kg CO2e 4 kg CO 2 e CO2e stands for “carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas equivalents”. CO2e is a unit of measurement for emissions. It bundles together the impact of all applicable greenhouse gases and non-CO2 effects. × Per passenger traveling 100 km

19 kg CO2e 19 kg CO 2 e Per passenger traveling 100 km

25 kg CO2e 25 kg CO 2 e Per passenger traveling 100 km

From Our World in Data

The less fuel a transport mode burns and the more passengers it carries, the lower its environmental impact per passenger

Compare flight options

When traveling further away, it’s not always possible to avoid flying. but, consider which flights you take – some flights pollute less than others..

Choose Economy

Consider fuel efficiency

Contribute to the climate

Compare emissions for flights

Distance flying shorter distances typically burns less fuel, reducing the flight’s emissions ×, stops making fewer stops typically burns less fuel, reducing the flight’s emissions ×, cabin class the less space your seat takes up, the lower “your share” of the flight’s emissions ×.

Emissions are measured in CO2. CO2 stands for carbon dioxide. Emissions values are representative and do not reflect exact itineraries. Learn more about how emissions are estimated

Tree and electricity conversions from: EPA .

• Electricity

Aircraft features that affect emissions

Aircraft efficiency

Modern planes are more fuel-efficient than older models. Improved fuel-efficiency reduces a flight’s emissions.

Seating density

Seating density varies by plane type and airline. The more seats a plane has, the lower each passenger’s share of the flight’s emissions.

A CLIMATE-FRIENDLY FUTURE

In addition to the choices we make, many travel companies are committing to climate-friendly practices

As train providers invest in new rail infrastructure, expand their routes, or commit to using carbon-free energy, climate-friendly travel becomes easier.

Airlines continue to invest in fuel-efficient aircraft or efficient seating configurations to lower their environmental impact. Some donate to projects that remove carbon dioxide from the air, while others invest in sustainable aviation fuel research.

Travel providers

More and more accommodations and online travel agencies are committing to climate-friendly practices. You can usually find their pledges online.

Choose where to stay

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY PLACES TO STAY

SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

Sustainability practices & eco certifications

Accommodations identify these practices as opportunities to reduce their environmental impact, energy efficiency.

Water conservation

Waste reduction.

Sustainable sourcing

Recognized eco certifications.

Accommodations can also gain eco certifications. To be recognized as eco-certified on Google, certifications must be verified by independent organizations.

How is Google helping?

SUSTAINABLE WITH GOOGLE

INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTIONS

CLIMATE-CONSCIOUS TRAVEL

GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS

Go Hilton Team Member travel program

Booking a go hilton stay.

Eligible Team Members and their authorized family / friends must each log in at the Go Hilton booking site with their own Hilton Honors sign-in and password to manage their own reservations. 

Tips for Finding Go Hilton Rates

Use the flexible dates feature.

• Search for a 1-night stay and click the 'My dates are flexible' box, which will let you see rate availability day-by-day in a calendar view for each hotel you select.
• Ex: If you searched for 3 nights, but only 2 of the nights have the discount available, the search would come up empty. If you do a 1-night search and use flexible dates, you could see availability day-by-day and see the discount for 2 of the 3 nights, which you could book separately if needed.

Mix and match rates

• Ex: Team Member rate might be available for 1 night and not the next, but the Family & Friends rate might be available for the other night.
• If searching for 2 rooms doesn't work, try searching for only 1 room as there may be only one room available at the discounted rate on that particular night.

Be flexible

• Try to book as far in advance as possible to take advantage of all potential availability. If you don't find what you're looking for right away, come back often. Go Hilton rate availability is based on forecasted occupancy, which can change frequently.
• More rooms might become available closer to the desired stay date, especially within 60 days of arrival, since stay dates farther out in the calendar may be more limited and are often booked quickly.
• Consider searching for popular destinations during various seasons or nights of the week when availability may be more plentiful.
• Plan trips around when you find availability for the discounted rates.

Checking in & staying with Go Hilton Rates 

• Team Members must be present at check-in and for the duration of Team Member rate and Family & Friends rate stays booked in their name and Hilton Honors account.
• Authorized family and friends must be present at check-in and for the duration of Family & Friends rate stays booked in their name and Hilton Honors account.
• Non-Team Members, family/friends, etc., cannot use Team Member rates.
• Authorized family/friends can travel without the authorizing Team Member when staying under their own Family & Friends rates, but the family/friends do need to make their own reservations by signing into the Go Hilton booking site with their own Hilton Honors account.

Number of rooms per stay

• For each hotel stay, eligible Team Members may reserve up to 2 Team Member rate rooms and 2 Family & Friends rate rooms, for a total of up to 4 rooms in their own name and Hilton Honors number.
• Team Members’ approved family / friends may reserve up to 2 Family & Friends rate rooms per hotel stay (family / friends must make their own bookings with their own Hilton Honors account).
• "Extra” Team Member and “Extra” Family & Friends rates are combined with and treated like “regular” Team Member and Family & Friends rates for the maximum number of rooms per stay.
• Program users may not book rooms for themselves at different hotels for the same stay dates regardless of the rate booked.

Number of nights per stay

• Eligible Team Members can book up to seven consecutive nights at Team Member rates and up to seven consecutive nights at Family & Friends rates.
• Approved family/friends may book a Family & Friends rate for seven consecutive nights.

Annual allotment of room nights

• Each eligible Team Member can book and / or use up to 30 room nights per calendar year under Team Member rates and up to 70 room nights per calendar year under Family & Friends rates, for a total of 100 room nights per calendar year.
• Each room counts as 1 room night.
• Usage of Family & Friends room nights by approved family / friends counts against the 70 Family & Friends room nights total.
• "Extra" Team Member rates and "Extra" Family & Friends rates do not count against the annual room night allotments.

Hilton Honors Points, stay credit, & hotel benefits

Go Hilton Team Member and Family & Friends rate stays are eligible to earn Hilton Honors Points on both room rates and incidentals and stay credit toward the next tier status, based on Hilton Honors terms and conditions. Hilton Honors members are eligible for all standard Hilton Honors hotel benefits when staying under Go Hilton rates, including room upgrades at check-in based on tier status and hotel availability.

Hilton Honors Relocation & Recovery (Walk Policy)

Occasionally, a hotel may find itself in an overbooked situation. All Go Hilton Team Member and Family & Friends rate reservations in such situations are to be honored as any other reservation for a Hilton Honors member; Hilton Honors Relocation & Recovery policies apply the same to Team Member and Family & Friends reservations as to any other reservation type for overbooked situations. The guest should be relocated to another local hotel within a reasonable distance with all the usual Hilton Honors walk benefits based on the guest's tier status.   

Code of Conduct

• Eligible participants traveling under the  Go Hilton travel programs are bound to the Hilton Code of Conduct. Eligible Participants are expected to embody Hilton Values and uphold the exceptional reputation of Hilton during every stay at member properties. Eligible Participants will be held accountable for any undue duress placed on the hosting property. Behavior inconsistent with program rules and our HILTON Values may result in loss of these privileges and disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Family and Friends of Eligible Participants who use the Family & Friends Travel Program are also a reflection of the Eligible Participant. Any inappropriate behavior by Family and Friends may also result in loss of these privileges for the family/friend and the Eligible Participant.
• Access to Go Hilton discounts may not be sold, auctioned, bartered, brokered, purchased, or otherwise transferred.  Any Go Hilton discounts obtained in this manner will be considered to have been fraudulently obtained and deemed void, resulting in cancellation of the reservations.  This applies to Go Hilton Team Member rates and Family & Friends rates. All such activity is strictly prohibited and will result in loss of Go Hilton privileges for the applicable Team Member and/or Family & Friends and can also result in disciplinary action for the Team Member, up to and including termination. Such fraudulent activity will also lead to closure of the applicable Hilton Honors accounts and forfeiture of any Hilton Honors Points, stay credits, or other related rewards associated with those accounts.
• The following actions will be taken by the Program for any Hilton Honors members who are fraudulently added to a Team Member's Family & Friends list and/or who fraudulently book or use a Team Member's Family & Friends rate room nights without the Team Member's knowledge and consent:  their Go Hilton / Family & Friends rate reservations will be cancelled by the Program; their Hilton Honors account will be closed; and they will forfeit any Hilton Honors Points, stay credits, or other related rewards associated with that Hilton Honors account. The Program will monitor such fraudulent Hilton Honors members going forward, and such fraudulent activity on any new Hilton Honors account the members open will lead to the same treatment as above on the new accounts.
• Team Members should inform all family and friends they authorize to use the program of the Go Hilton Code of Conduct and all Program Rules.

Our mission, products, and impact

More about our core commitments

Expanding what’s possible for everyone

Unlocking opportunity with education & career tools

Keeping billions of people safe online

Helping people with information in critical moments

Committed to being carbon free by 2030

Who we are shapes the work we do.

The 2023 Diversity Annual Report shares the past year’s progress towards building a Google that reflects and embraces the diversity of our world.

Read the report (Opens in a New Browser Tab)

We’re making sure every Googler feels seen, connected, supported, and empowered to participate fully:

increase in leadership representation of Black+, Latinx+, and Native American+ Googlers by 2025

How we’re making progress on our representation goals

As of 2021, we've reached our goal of improving leadership representation of Black+, Latino+, and Native American+ Googlers by 30% , and we're on track to double Black+ representation throughout our U.S. offices by 2025.

As we work towards our representation goals, we're focusing on more than just hiring. Our recruiting leads are working closely with internal groups like the Black Googler Network to improve hiring, progression, and retention for underrepresented groups at Google. We're launching new onboarding programs for all Black Googlers, and doubling down on our commitment to support Googlers of color through expanded mental health resources, and through internal mentorship programs like Stay and Thrive . We're driving allyship and holding leaders accountable by incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into performance reviews for all vice president+ levels. We're also focusing on hiring more employees of color in key growth sites , and we're working with external partner organizations and Minority Serving Institutions in order to strengthen pathways to careers in tech for those historically excluded from the industry.

Working to better recruit, hire, and build with the disability community

How we’re working to better recruit, hire, and co-create with Googlers with disabilities

Googlers with disabilities make critical contributions across the company. We’re actively working to make Google a place where everyone can learn, grow, and have an impact. Here are a few ways we’re doing it:

Launched a new careers site to better recruit people with disabilities, including information about workplace accommodations

Created a training on Disability Fundamentals for managers at Google, then partnered with Disability:In to make the course available to their partner companies.

Cultivating community through Disability Alliance , our internal employee resource group (ERG), which was named ERG of the Year 2020 by Disability:IN

Joined the Valuable 500 as one of 14 iconic companies, working to “co-create solutions which will transform the business system to be more inclusive of people with disabilities.”

Supporting the intersectional communities at Google with Self-ID

To build a workforce that’s representative of our users, we need to have a thorough picture of our employee demographics. Self-ID is an initiative providing intersectional data of our workforce communities and informing impactful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and resources to help our diverse Googlers thrive at work.

When Google began collecting DEI data in 2014, we gathered only the information we were obligated to report to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including race, ethnicity, and binary gender. Although this gave us a preliminary glimpse into the employee demographics, it had its limitations.

In January 2019, we launched Self-ID, a voluntary self-identification survey that collects data on many aspects of identity. Now Googlers can quickly and easily choose to disclose if they have a disability, have served in the military, or if they’re nonbinary, LGBQ+, and/or Trans+. We’ve been able to expand our data sets in the U.S. and globally – in countries where legally permissible.

Self-ID is already creating impact, both internally and for the industry. For example, within Google we’ve used the data of those who self-identified as having a disability to set company-wide goals focused on improving product accessibility and disability inclusion. For the industry at large, Self-ID creates a new metric of data that allows us to inspire other companies and organizations to ramp up their DEI efforts and foster a sense of belonging in culture.

Developing outreach programs and hiring trainings to build inclusive teams

How we’re developing hiring trainings and outreach programs to build inclusive teams

Our recruiting team develops strategies and initiatives to ensure our hiring efforts prioritize equity. For example, our Hiring Steps and Culture Add training helps hiring managers and recruiters identify and eliminate personal biases and adopt a more inclusive mindset. In 2021, we doubled the program’s reach, training 10,000 Googlers. Working closely with Color in Tech helped us connect with Black talent and promote recruiting events. Through this collaboration, Google sponsored the Black Tech Fest Conference , bringing 4,000 tech professionals together to expand their careers.

Supporting current and future parents with expanded healthcare resources

How we’re supporting current and future parents at Google with an expanded healthcare program

We launched the Maven Maternal Health Program, a U.S. employee benefit program that provides resources for mothers and parents. Expecting mothers can have access to: a customized care team, 24/7 virtual appointments, return-to-work counseling, and 30+ types of doctors, specialists, and coaches. The program also provides mental health support through pregnancy loss, as well as LGBTQ+ inclusive preconception guidance around IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, and adoption.

Investing in Google offices where underrepresented talent thrives

How we're expanding Google offices and teams to tap into historically underrepresented communities in tech

We’ve continued establishing roots within the regions we’ve called home for many years and began investing in newer locations, including: New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington D.C., and London. These investments will help us reach and recruit historically underrepresented groups in the tech industry.

Marnie Florin (they/them, ze/hir, ze/zir, ey,em) Retention & Progression Consultant, Google

Read the transcript (Opens in a Dialog Window)

“I’m Marnie Florin. I’m a parent. I’m trans. I’m nonbinary. I’m currently pregnant. I’m Jewish. I identify as neurodiverse with ADHD. Being able to bring my authentic self to work is so important because it means that I’m not expending additional energy thinking about what are other people thinking of me, versus being able to put that energy toward just doing a good job in my role.”

“I will say in my joining Google and as a woman of color coming out of foster care, I want to make sure that I’m fostering an environment where people feel safe and they feel like what they do matters and that I see them.” Shanika Hope, PhD (she/her) Director, Tech Education, Google

When we’re together we thrive.

Meet the community-driven groups providing support and making an impact:

Africans@Google

Supporting Africans at Google

As part of the Black Googler Network, Africans@Google is focused on building and maintaining a community that feels like home for Africans at Google while providing a platform to bring awareness to Google and the tech community about Africa-focused initiatives.

Asian Google Network

Supporting the diverse and multicultural Asian community at Google

The Asian Google Network (AGN) aims to engage and support the Asian community at Google. AGN focuses on programs around career development, racial awareness, health and wellness, product inclusion, and culture. Each year, thousands of Googlers participate in efforts from the annual mentorship program to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month activities.

Black Googler Network

Supporting the Black community at Google

The Black Googler Network (BGN) is an employee resource group of Googlers with a mission to cultivate Black leaders at Google and beyond, empower the communities where we operate, and transform the tech industry to reflect the diversity of its users. Members of BGN create community for one another through participation in events, discussions, and celebrations (i.e., Black History Month and Juneteenth) centered around the diverse topics that most impact the Black+ community. BGN members take pride in sharing their time and talent with one another as well as the greater community outside Google.

CAMENA (Caucasia, Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa)

Supporting Googlers of nationalities or ethnicities in the CAMENA geographical region

CAMENA aims to provide a platform for empowerment, mentorship, and networking of the diverse and multicultural Caucasian, Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African communities and to strengthen communication and collaboration with other Googlers, culturally and professionally.

Disability Alliance

Nothing About Us Without Us

The Disability Alliance (DA) is an employee resource group for disabled people and their allies. We share advice, build awareness, and advocate for Disability inclusion in Google and Alphabet products, programs, and practices.

Filipino Googler Network

Celebrating the Filipino community at Google

The Filipino Googler Network (FGN) focuses on organizing internal events that help build a stronger sense of belonging, creating programs that encourage professional development, and finding opportunities to connect with the wider global Filipino community.

Google Aboriginal & Indigenous Network

Supporting Indigenous and Aboriginal communities

The Google Aboriginal & Indigenous Network (GAIN) is dedicated to bringing the influence of Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples to Google employees and Google users through product inclusion, social responsibility initiatives, and internal efforts related to hiring and retention. GAIN also builds relationships between Google teams and external Aboriginal & Indigenous-led nonprofits and organizations.

Google Veterans Network

Supporting veterans and military families

The Google Veterans Network (VetNet) is an internal community of military veterans, service members, civilian allies, and families dedicated to unifying, connecting, and serving the military community.

Creating community for Googlers “of a certain age”

The Greyglers help Google succeed by sharing their experience and by advocating for the needs of Googlers and users as they age. Greyglers advocate for age positive policy change within Google, promote awareness of age diversity and issues related to age, and support transitions throughout Googler careers, so that Google remains a workplace that works for everyone.

Hispanic Googlers Network

Supporting the Latinx community at Google

HOLA’s members are committed to the inclusion, advancement, and representation of Hispanic/Latinx Googlers worldwide. HOLA strives to build community through education and celebration of Hispanic/Latinx culture. With the intention of making both an internal and external impact, HOLA provides mentorship opportunities and empowers volunteer opportunities in the Hispanic/Latinx community. HOLA stands in support of racial equity and intersectional justice, and all those who seek it.

Indus Google Network

Connecting with the South Asian community at Google

The Indus Googler Network (IGN) aims to build a platform for professional and social activities for those with an affinity for South Asian culture. IGN activities include community service, outreach programs, and cultural celebrations such as Diwali and Holi.

Inter Belief Network

Promoting inclusion at work and in Google’s products for a diversity of belief-based or belief-related communities

The Inter Belief Network (IBN) aims to create a culture of inclusion, tolerance, and mutual understanding at Google for a diversity of beliefs, where Googlers of all beliefs feel welcome, included, and supported. IBN also aims to ensure that the voices of belief-based communities are represented in Google’s products. IBN consists of multiple member chapters representing specific communities of interest, including but not limited to: Buddhists, Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Mixed Googlers

Supporting the mixed race and mixed ethnicity community at Google

The Mixed Googlers employee resource group is a dedicated community for mixed race and mixed ethnicity Googlers and allies. Mixed Googlers hold fun socials, interesting talks on important topics, and share helpful resources.

Parents & Caregivers at Google

Supporting and connecting parents and caregivers at Google

Parents & Caregivers at Google is committed to supporting and creating a sense of belonging for Googlers who are in a parenting or caregiving role today, and those who expect to be in one in the future.

PRIDE at Google

Creating a supportive, inclusive Google for LGBTQ+ employees

PRIDE at Google is comprised of LGBTQ+ Googlers and their allies. The group not only leads the way in celebrating LGBTQ+ people year round, but also informs product inclusion, programs and policies, so that Google and its products work for everyone.

Trans at Google

Advocating for transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, gender variant, intersex, nonbinary and questioning employees

Trans at Google seeks to ensure that the company’s products and policy stances are inclusive of all gender identities and expressions. Trans at Google also highlights the needs and concerns of our users from trans and gender-nonconforming communities globally.

Women@Google

Advocating for gender equity

Women@Google is our largest global employee network and is committed to empowering all women at Google by connecting, developing, and retaining female talent; creating a culture of inclusion; and making social impact in local communities. Women@ provides networking and mentoring opportunities, professional development, and community to Googler women across 52 countries.

Xuan Yang (she/her) Senior Software Engineer, Google

“As a woman in an engineering field, there are a lot of challenges. But inside Google, there are all kinds of mentorship programs to help people meet each other and build career connections. I actually have mentored several interns, and also I have been mentored. And through all those activities, I have the feeling that I'm making contributions and helping others in this community.”

“I think what's been really exciting for me is the ability to take something small, like kicking off a ML fairness project, and then being able to build that into a much bigger experience for the organization into eventually culture change, into something that's ingrained in our goals and our best practices.” Tulsee Doshi (she/her) Head of Product - Responsible AI, Google

More ways we’re building belonging in our workplace:

How this Googler lifts up Indigenous communities

Going beyond DEI to build belonging and push the industry forward

How improving accessibility led this UX researcher to Google

Inside Google Korea’s new accessible office space

Explore more of our belonging work.

In 2023 we deepened our global belonging efforts to build a world where belonging is the norm, not the exception.

Belonging unlocks a world of possibilities, and five principles guide our work.

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Google Employees Tune Out Antitrust Threat as Trial Comes to a Head

They shrugged off concerns about the company’s fate ahead of closing arguments in the Justice Department’s lawsuit this week.

• Share full article

By Nico Grant

Reporting from San Francisco

On Tuesday, Google’s employees gathered for an all-hands meeting named T.G.I.F. These companywide meetings are rarely held on Fridays these days, but the name has stuck.

Executives shared highlights from a recent earnings report and cloud-computing conference, and warned workers against taking disruptive actions in the wake of internal protests against a cloud-computing contract with Israel.

But no one in the meeting, two employees said, broached a topic that could have a dramatic impact on Google: its landmark antitrust trial with the Justice Department, where arguments are finally coming to an end this week.

For eight months, while tech policy experts have tried to divine what a Google victory or loss would mean for the power of tech giants in the United States, Google’s employees have mostly ignored the antitrust fight, according to interviews with a dozen current and recent workers, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the legal matter.

Even among Google’s outspoken employees, the legal risks facing the company have become background noise. For two decades the company has been one of Silicon Valley’s apex predators, and its workers have grown accustomed to Google’s breezing past regulatory scrutiny. Why expect something different this time?

Besides, they added, the more pressing threat to Google is a competitive one posed by Microsoft and OpenAI, the maker of the ChatGPT chatbot. (The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in December for copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems.)

Closing arguments in the trial began on Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and are expected to last two days. The Justice Department has taken aim at Google’s search business, claiming the company illegally extended its monopoly by forging default search deals with browser makers, such as Apple and Mozilla. Google has said that the contracts are legal and that its innovations have broadened competition, not constricted it.

Peter Schottenfels, a Google spokesman, said in a statement that the Justice Department’s case “is deeply flawed.”

“Our employees know that we face intense competition — we experience it every day,” Mr. Schottenfels said. “That’s why we are focused on building innovative and helpful products that people choose to use.”

On Thursday, Judge Amit P. Mehta stress-tested the Justice Department’s and Google’s arguments in court. He prodded the Justice Department on its assertion that Google’s market power had hindered its search engine’s innovation or quality for consumers.

“I’m struggling to see how I could reach findings of fact that would say, ‘Google has not done enough,’ or ‘Google’s product has worsened over the course of 10 years,’ in such a way that I could say it’s because of lack of competition,” Judge Mehta said.

He also questioned Google’s assertion that it faced competition from sites like Amazon, where consumers go to search for pricing and other results while shopping, saying the average person would see a difference between Google and Amazon.

Soon, it will be up to Judge Mehta to decide. If Google loses, there is a wide range of potential consequences. Google could be forced to make small changes to its business practices or face a ban on the types of default contracts that have helped make its search engine ubiquitous. The Justice Department could also call for the divestiture of one of Google’s search distribution platforms like the Chrome browser or the Android mobile operating system — a drastic but less likely outcome.

For more than a decade, Google has faced fines and government lawsuits in Europe and elsewhere, while notching significant revenue and profit gains . That has made all the legal wrangling look like the cost of doing business to some employees, two people said.

Google employees have been taught to avoid talking or writing about lawsuits. The company always tells employees to “communicate with care,” as laid out in an internal document reviewed by The Times. In other words, what you write can end up becoming an embarrassing bit of evidence in court.

When an employee in Google’s advertising department recently mentioned news articles about the antitrust lawsuit at the office, co-workers shook their heads and said, “We don’t talk about that,” the person said.

But lawsuits happen all the time. In the last six months, Google has settled cases at a steady clip, ending privacy, patent and antitrust claims against the company. Those suits didn’t cause much to change, leading some employees to believe that this case is no different.

When employees do talk about the Justice Department suit, they echo one of the company’s arguments: that the allegations against Google Search are outdated, especially as the tech industry has rushed to develop artificial intelligence systems that could alter the search market, two people said.

Some employees expect all the legal hype around the search case to boil down to small business tweaks and some fines, two people said.

Despite the confidence of employees, William Kovacic, a former chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, said in an interview that companies targeted for antitrust violations often lost a step, citing IBM and Microsoft. He expects Google to have a similar experience, he said.

The lawsuits can “inject a little more caution into how the company operates,” said Mr. Kovacic, who now teaches competition at George Washington University. “To some degree, I feel they’ve already lost. They’ll never be the same.”

Google’s executives had hoped employees would ignore the Justice Department suit. When it was filed in the fall of 2020, Sundar Pichai, the company’s chief executive, told employees to stay focused on their jobs and not let it distract them.

In the years since, Mr. Pichai hasn’t usually mentioned the suit and downplayed it when addressing employees at all-hands meetings, three people said. And the company has reiterated the need to be mum, sending emails to employees instructing them not to discuss the case publicly or with the press, two people said.

Lately, other issues have captured workers’ attention more. On Memegen, a forum that serves as Google’s virtual water cooler, a person said, commenters have continued to discuss topics like the ongoing layoffs, jobs moving to India and protests against the Israeli cloud deal, known as Project Nimbus, which led Google to fire 50 participants for disrupting and occupying workspaces.

On Tuesday, Mr. Pichai said that it was fine for employees to disagree about sensitive topics, but that they could not cross the line.

“We’re a business,” he said.

David McCabe and Cecilia Kang contributed reporting from Washington.

Nico Grant is a technology reporter covering Google from San Francisco. Previously, he spent five years at Bloomberg News, where he focused on Google and cloud computing. More about Nico Grant

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Moxy nyc chelsea.

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General Topics

Travel policy for Google recruits - zero benefit to traveler

Google's travel arrangements for recruits are crazy. Flight, hotel, and car rental do not allow for any frequent flyer benefits to the traveler. Hotel & car are on corporate account that doesn't qualify for frequent traveler status, and the flights are booked using some sort of corporate award / zero-revenue ticket so don't qualify for any miles/points (this is on United at least) I've not seen this in my experience for the entire travel scenario. Is Google this stingy with travel benefits for actual employees? Did you also have these restrictions when a recruit? #google #travel

Same at many companies, you need to use their travel system that does not give any miles and you don’t use your own credit card

I think they flew me out on delta and I got miles. However this was over 4 years ago.

Did you try to claim the flight with your rewards based on reference code after it was booked? That should work I think.

Yeah I did. That linked it into mine and I got my frequent flyer benefits but because it's a non-revenue ticket, United Airlines doesn't award any points or even flight segment credits.

Better than 1. Them not paying 2. You pay yourself and have to wait to get reimbursed. Some companies (big ones) take a long time ...

Id much rather not have to deal with booking than earn a few extra points

So, you not only expect Google to pay for your flight, hotel, car rental but also want the benefits of their bulk-buying power passed on to you. Wow, entitled much?

Yep, that's the way it's always been in my career. Hence the post, this seems unusual and I have worked with and gone through recruiting for most of the big names. It sounds like you haven't had to travel much in your career if you find that shocking.

Traveling for an employer is quite different than traveling as a candidate. I’ve done a lot of the former and a bit of the latter. I’ve also done a lot of hiring in my career, and it would be a huge red flag to me for a candidate to behave as you have done.

Omg what a weird thing to whine about. And I thought the free food beggars were the worst.

We all fell for a parody post 🥳🤗🤣

I went for onsite couple of months back. They added my delta frequent flyer and i got points. Only on car rental, they could not add my points.

Yeah I was wondering if other airlines might award points even on non-revenue tickets. United does not.

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Google Benefits and Perks for Employees - 11 ideas

Let’s dive into some of the top benefits and perks that Google employees love.

Thomas Mirmotahari

Jun 2, 2022

In this Post

If you are researching companies with competitive talent packages to guide your own offering, Google is likely on your radar. The Google benefits and perks it offers to employees rank among the greatest in the world. It’s part of the company’s strategy to pull out the stops and attract the best and brightest.‍

Google’s goal to create the happiest workplace in the world is evident in its rules, unique office sites, and the wide array of benefits it offers its employees (or Googlers). The tech giant believes in looking after its talents’ wellbeing and creating a positive work culture to improve job satisfaction and productivity. ‍

So, let’s dive into some of the top perks and benefits that Google employees love.

Eleven Google Benefits and Perks that Employees Love

1. healthcare benefits.

Google offers its employees medical insurance. Googlers have the option to customize comprehensive medical coverage for themselves, their spouses, and any dependents they have.‍

With Google health insurance, basic vision and dental care are already included. This means there's no need for employees to acquire additional coverage outside of what the company pays for. ‍

An annual $1,000 deductible covers hospitalization for any reason. Whether you’re a contractor, temp, full-time or part-time employee, you will have access to complete healthcare. ‍

The cherry on top is that Google has onsite medical staff for those working on campus. So when an employee falls ill, they can simply schedule an appointment.

2. Work/Life Balance

Google offers a variety of learning, social, and development programs to help employees achieve a good work-life balance. ‍

For example, employees can devote 20% of their time to pursue other interests or focus on projects that matter to them. ‍

Employees can also receive up to $12,000 in tuition support per year, and the Education Assistance program can help them pay for any educational pursuit, such as learning a language or coding. ‍

Google also welcomes world-renowned professionals for seminars, talks, and conferences on a regular basis. The company has a diverse range of people give thought-provoking and enriching talks to Google employees.‍

The Google employee benefits for a healthy work/life balance don’t end there! Googlers can also take up to three months off work to pursue interests outside of the office. ‍

Although this time is unpaid and must be committed to specific activities to qualify, Google does allow for up to three months of ongoing healthcare insurance. Many employees choose to take advantage of this benefit by donating their time to a community, political campaign, or nonprofit.

3. Parental Leave

People have a legal entitlement to time off when they welcome a new child through childbirth, adoption, or fostering. Google makes sure that it gives both parents time off at home before returning to work.‍

Google provides fathers with a 6-week parental leave and mothers with an 18-week parental leave. For reference, Twitter gives new parents up to 20 weeks of paid time off .‍

In some offices, this perk extends to cater to both parent and child. There are high-quality onsite daycare facilities with tailored learning plans for the children.

4. Paid Time Off

Most salaried employees are entitled to paid time off (PTO), although it is usually limited to sick and vacation days. Google provides a lot more to its employees, including bereavement leave. ‍

Vacation and sick time, as well as paid holidays, are all included in PTO. ‍

The amount of PTO an employee receives will depend on their job title, the number of hours they work per week, and how long they've been with the organization.

5. Financial & Retirement Benefits

To ensure the financial wellbeing of its employees, Google provides financial incentives, such as a 401(k) matching program. ‍

The company matches its employees’ 401K contributions dollar for dollar up to $3,000, and matches 50 percent of contributions up to $8,250. ‍

If an employee decides to leave the company, they can keep their contributions and matching contributions by rolling them over or withdrawing them. However, there's a penalty of 10% plus taxes.‍

The company also offers stock options and Google Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) as a part of its compensation package for employees. 

6. Flexibility

Google uses a hybrid work model that gives employees (in most roles) two work-from-home days every week. The company also offers four “work from anywhere” weeks per year.‍

Having this type of flexibility is becoming more and more critical. It gives people a little more control over their schedule and everyday tasks and admin.

Related: Seven Facebook Benefits That Employees Love

7. Food & Snacks

The free lunches provided on the company's office campuses are one of Google’s most popular perks . The Google Office Campuses have various cafes, restaurants, and well-stocked micro kitchens that give free meals to Googlers. ‍

Employees at Google are rarely more than 200 feet away from food. They can also choose snacks to save for later. If free food isn’t enough, employees can also learn how to prepare delicious dishes with free cooking classes.‍

Google’s goal is to bring different departments together and allow its employees to meet each other and mingle. 

8. Fitness Facilities 

With its focus on its employees’ health and wellness, it comes as no surprise that one of the top Google employee perks is access to fitness facilities. ‍

The company has fitness centers at nearly every office. These gyms provide a variety of activities, including fitness classes, equipment, and swimming pools. For offices that don’t have onsite fitness facilities, Google pays for its employees’ gym memberships.‍

This is a great way to keep teams motivated, as working out is proven to relieve stress. It’s also convenient for employees as it means they can work out at a time that suits them and their schedules.

9. Mental Wellbeing

Google cares about the mental well-being of its employees. It provides employee assistance programs that are focused on mental health. ‍

On top of that, it provides access to mental health apps to help employees struggling with their mental health. ‍

Resources like this show that the company cares for its people and wants to help in any way it can. This initiative also looks great to prospective employees as mental health awareness is becoming more and more relevant these days. 

10. Onsite Services & Conveniences

Google’s perks and benefits exist to make life better and easier for the whole team team. As such, the company also offers a range of onsite services. ‍

One example is the company’s onsite laundromats, where employees can do their laundry and not have to wait until after hours to do it at home. ‍

Google also offers its employees free haircuts to save them a trip to the hairdresser!

11. Other Incentives

Google has its own gold star system, in which employees are rewarded with massage credits for a job well done. Employees can also donate their massage credits to coworkers in the spirit of giving. ‍

The merit-based system, and incentives like free meals, games, and services, create a pleasant environment for Googlers. It encourages employees to come to work happy and motivated every day.

Final Thoughts

Google has established a reputation as a visionary leader that is always paving the way for other companies. The tech giant is famed for its generous treatment of its employees, from its opulent campuses to its excellent work-life balance. ‍

Google’s benefits and perks offering sits right up there with some of its biggest tech peers, including Facebook , Bloomberg , Airbnb , Visa , and Tesla .‍

While not every company can afford to be as generous, it’s a good idea to learn from Google’s benefits and perks and do what you can to keep your employees happy!

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Google Lays Off Hundreds of 'Core' Employees, Relocates Others Overseas

As mass tech layoffs continue to sweep the industry, Google is the latest company to cut and relocate employees.

According to documents obtained by CNBC , Google laid off over 200 employees who were a part of its "Core" division and will be moving another undisclosed number of employees to India and Mexico as the tech giant restructures. The layoffs occurred just days before the company announced its Q1 2024 earnings on April 25.

Per Google's website , "Core" employees are "responsible for building the technical foundation behind Google's flagship products" as well as protecting Google's users' online safety and helping maintain the company's internal IT system to help employees "do their best work through internal tools and developer solutions."

Nearly 50 affected employees were staffed at Google's HQ in Sunnyvale, California, and the cuts mostly affected software engineers.

"A number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers and align their resources to their biggest product priorities," a Google spokesperson told Business Insider . "Through this, we're simplifying our structures to give employees more opportunity to work on our most innovative and important advances and our biggest company priorities, while reducing bureaucracy and layers."

Google's parent company, Alphabet, meanwhile, reported a strong Q1 2024 with revenue increasing 15% to $80.54 billion from $69.79 billion at the same time a year earlier. This was the fastest rate of revenue growth for the company since 2022.

Related: Meta, Google Layoffs Exposed 'Fake Work': Former PayPal Exec

"Our results in the first quarter reflect strong performance from Search, YouTube, and Cloud," Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an earnings release . "We are well underway with our Gemini era and there's great momentum across the company. Our leadership in AI research and infrastructure, and our global product footprint, position us well for the next wave of AI innovation."

April's job cuts follow a previous round of mass layoffs held in January where nearly 1,000 employees were let go in Google's hardware and search division to reprioritize and expand the company's AI sector.

"We intend to maintain our current global footprint while also expanding in high-growth global workforce locations so that we can operate closer to our partners and developer communities," Asim Husain, vice president of Google Developer Ecosystem, wrote in an internal email last week per CNBC .

Related: Google Wants Its Employees Back in the Office: Report

Alphabet was up over 58% year over year as of Thursday morning.

Google lays off hundreds of 'Core' employees, moves some positions to India and Mexico

Just ahead of its blowout first-quarter earnings report on April 25,  Google  laid off at least 200 employees from its “Core” teams, in a reorganization that will include moving some roles to India and Mexico, CNBC has learned.

The Core unit is responsible for building the technical foundation behind the company’s flagship products and for protecting users’ online safety, according to Google’s  website . Core teams include key technical units from information technology, its Python developer team, technical infrastructure, security foundation, app platforms, core developers, and various engineering roles.

At least 50 of the positions eliminated were in engineering at the company’s offices in Sunnyvale, California, filings show. Many Core teams will hire corresponding roles in Mexico and India, according to internal documents viewed by CNBC.

Asim Husain, vice president of Google Developer Ecosystem, announced news of the layoffs to his team in an email last week. He also spoke at a town hall and told employees that this was the biggest planned reduction for his team this year, an internal document shows.

“We intend to maintain our current global footprint while also expanding in high-growth global workforce locations so that we can operate closer to our partners and developer communities,” Husain wrote in the email.

Alphabet has been slashing headcount since early last year, when the company announced plans to  eliminate about 12,000 jobs , or 6% of its workforce, following a downturn in the online ad market. Even with digital advertising rebounding recently, Alphabet has continued downsizing, with layoffs across multiple organizations this year.

Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat  announced  in mid-April that the company’s finance department would undergo restructuring, entailing layoffs and moving positions to Bangalore and Mexico City. The company’s search boss, Prabhakar Raghavan,  told employees  at an all-hands meeting in March that Google plans to build teams closer to users in key markets, including India and Brazil, where labor is cheaper than in the U.S.

The latest cuts come as the company enjoys its fastest growth rate since early 2022, alongside improving profit margins. Last week, Alphabet reported a 15% jump in first-quarter revenue from a year earlier and  announced  its first-ever dividend and a $70 billion buyback.  

“Announcements of this sort may leave many of you feeling uncertain or frustrated,” Husain wrote in the email to developers. He added that his message to developers is that the changes “are in service of our broader goals” as a company.

The teams involved in the reorganization have been key to the company’s developer tools, an area Google is streamlining as it incorporates more artificial intelligence into the products. In February, Google announced a  major rebrand  of its chatbot from Bard to Gemini, the same name as the suit of AI models that power it.

Alphabet is gearing up for its annual developer conference, Google I/O, on May 14, where the company traditionally reveals new developer products and tools underway during the prior year. Husain said in a memo explaining the developer changes that generative AI is at an “inflection point.”

“Recent advances in Generative AI across the industry, including Google’s Gemini, are changing the very nature of software development as we know it,” Husain wrote.

In a separate email, Pankaj Rohatgi, Google’s security engineering vice president, told his team, “In order to optimize for our business goals, we are expanding work to other locations, which will result in some role eliminations and proposed role eliminations.”

The Core layoffs also include the governance and protected data group, which will be at the center of regulatory challenges facing the company, particularly as lawmakers across the globe focus more on developments in AI. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which  went into effect in March , aims to clamp down on anti-competitive practices in tech.

Evan Kotsovinos, Google’s vice president of governance and protected data, addressed the upcoming changes last week.

Kotsovinos in an email said the team’s success means responding to “escalating regulatory focus” and is contingent on “moving faster.”

Raghavan, Google’s senior vice president overseeing search, recently  referenced  heightened competition, a more challenging regulatory environment, and slower organic growth as the company’s “new operating reality.”

When reached for comment, Google confirmed the Core reorganization and layoffs, and a spokesperson told CNBC that employees will be able to apply for open roles within Google and to access outplacement services.

“As we’ve said, we’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” the spokesperson said in an email. “A number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers and align their resources to their biggest product priorities.”

More from CNBC:

• Johnson & Johnson to pay $6.5 billion to resolve nearly all talc ovarian cancer lawsuits in U.S.
• Yum Brands earnings miss estimates as Pizza Hut, KFC sales disappoint
• To train car dealers on EVs and other topics, Ford turns to gamification and AI

Jennifer covers Google parent company Alphabet Inc. and Silicon Valley culture for CNBC.com in San Francisco.

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• 1 year of experience in technical troubleshooting and writing code in one or more programming languages.
• US Government Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS/SCI) security clearance with polygraph.

Program Manager II, Supply Chain Spares Analytics, Data Center Operations

Google | Atlanta, GA, USA

• 2 years of experience in program or project management.
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Materials Engineer, Physical Infrastructure

Google | Sunnyvale, CA, USA

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience designing mechanical components such as plastic or metal parts, mechanical assemblies, printed circuit boards, or flexes.
• 8 years of experience using computer-aided design tools such as 3D MCAD, NX, Creo, or Solidworks.
• Experience in materials science and engineering applied to research and product development.

Data Center Facilities Technician, Electrical

Google | Saint-Ghislain, Belgium

• Associate's degree, trade school certification, or other verifiable training in a relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in low or medium voltage maintenance and operations.

Strategic Negotiator, Data Center Portfolio Manager

Google | Singapore

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Real Estate, Public Policy, Finance, Technology, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 4 years of experience negotiating bilateral real estate and infrastructure agreements.
• Experience managing project delivery, including project scope, time, and budget.

CPU Architecture and Performance Engineer, Silicon

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in performance modeling, performance analysis, and workload characterization.
• Experience working with general-purpose programming languages (i.e., C/C++, Python).
• Experience in modern, high-performance CPU/ML architecture and micro-architecture.

Senior Motion Designer, YouTube

YouTube | San Bruno, CA, USA

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years of experience in product design or UX.
• Motion design experience related to physics, patterns, and visual design elements.
• Portfolio highlighting multiple projects and your direct contributions.

Policy Communications Manager, YouTube

YouTube | Washington D.C., DC, USA

• 7 years of experience in public relations, media relations, or communications.
• Experience of the policymaker and regulatory environment in the United States, or relevant international experience.
• Experience driving policy-focused media campaigns within organizations.
• Experience with communications related to company, operational, or reputational issues.

Google workers fired for Israel contract protests claim terminations were illegal

• Google employees who were fired for protesting the company's work with Israel have gone to the NLRB.
• About 50 employees were fired or placed on leave, the NLRB complaint said.
• Google previously said that the protesters' conduct was "unacceptable" and "extremely disruptive."

Google workers who were fired for protesting against the company's cloud contract with the Israeli government filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday.

An attorney for the workers said in the complaint that Google "retaliated against approximately 50 employees" by terminating them or putting them on administrative leave. Last month, Google said that it fired 28 employees for staging in-office protests in New York City and Sunnyvale, California.

Google's actions, the workers' attorney wrote, were "in response to their protected concert activity, namely, participation (or perceived participation) in a peaceful, non-disruptive protest that was directly and explicitly connected to their terms and conditions of work."

In a statement to Business Insider, a Google spokesperson said the behavior was "completely unacceptable."

"This is a very clear case of employees disrupting and occupying work spaces, and making other employees feel threatened and unsafe," the statement said. "We carefully confirmed and reconfirmed that every single person whose employment was terminated was directly and definitively involved in disruption inside our buildings."

A spokesperson for the NLRB told BI that it's regional office will be investigating the complaint.

Google said in an internal memo on April 17 that the protesters had taken over office spaces and defaced company property.

Related stories

"Behavior like this has no place in our workplace and we will not tolerate it," the company wrote.

The workers had voiced their dissent against Project Nimbus , Google's $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon to provide artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to Israel.

Protesters claimed that the contract — the details of which became public in 2021 — would allow the Israeli government to surveil and displace Palestinians.

But Google told BI last month that the company's work was not directed at highly sensitive or classified military projects relevant to weapons or intelligence services.

"We have been very clear that the Nimbus contract is for workloads running on our commercial cloud by Israeli government ministries, who agree to comply with our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy," a spokesperson for Google told BI.

The ongoing dispute between Google and some of its employees highlights companies' tricky balance between their business interests and their workers' desire for self-expression.

In December, The Washington Post reported that around 1,700 Amazon employees had signed a petition against Project Nimbus.

Signatories argued that Amazon's cloud technology was going to be used by the Israelis to "repress Palestinian activists and impose a brutal siege on Gaza."

When asked about the petition, Amazon spokesperson Rob Munoz told The Post that the tech giant "is focused on making the benefits of our world-leading cloud technology available to all our customers, wherever they are located."

May 2, 4:45 a.m. — This story has been updated with comments from the NLRB.

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

Watch: Why Israelis are protesting Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan

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We are excited to announce that Jerilyn Swenson will be joining State Aid in a brand new and much needed position as the State Aid Bridge Programs Engineer. Her first day with State Aid will be May 8. After this date, please direct all bridge funding related questions and needs to her. She can be reached at [email protected] or 612-409-3158. She will be the point person for the local bridge replacement program, town bridge program, coordinating the selection of projects for federal off-system funding, all things related to historic bridge funding, developing and delivering training, and anything else you can think of related to funding local bridge projects.

Jerilyn comes to State Aid with an impressive resume. She graduated from North Dakota State University with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering. Over the last 19 years she has worked both in the private and public engineering sectors. Most recently she worked for MnDOT District 4 in Detroit Lakes. Prior to that, she worked as the Norman County Engineer.