Google bumps up vacation days and parental leaves

Alphabet Inc's Google on Thursday increased the amount of time employees around the world can take off for vacation or caring for newborns and seriously ill loved ones.

Google has long been known as a global trailblazer in workplace benefits. But unlike many companies in Silicon Valley, it does not offer unlimited paid time off. Employees also have grown frustrated during the pandemic about long work hours, without being able to enjoy free meals and other Google office perks.

Employees will now receive a minimum of 20 paid vacation days annually, up from 15 days.

Google's chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, said in a statement that the increased leave aims "to support our employees at every stage of their lives and that means providing extraordinary benefits."

Google said parents who give birth can take up to 24 weeks off compared with 18 previously. All other parents will have up to 18 weeks of leave, up from 12.

-reuters

Google to require benefits, minimum wage for contractors

SAN FRANCISCO — Google said Tuesday it will require staffing companies it works with to pay workers at least $15 an hour and give them health benefits.

The company has faced pushback from employees and contract workers for paying contractors less than full-time employees.


Google did not say how many contractors and temporary workers it has, but reports say it is many thousands of people. Staffing companies will have until January 2020 to implement the minimum wage requirement, and January 2022 for the health care requirement.

Google’s new rules will require contractors, who are usually employed by third-party companies, to also get 12 weeks of paid parental leave and a $5,000 tuition reimbursement each year for classes to learn new skills.

Contract workforces are common in the tech industry and often get paid less and have fewer perks than full-time employees working for tech giants. Microsoft also implemented a requirement for contractors to get paid parental leave last year.

Many Google employees have banded together in the past year and demanded the company change various policies, prompting Google to examine issues from its handling of sexual misconduct claims to a military contract.

source: technology.inquirer.net