Google Perks Are Great, But They All Mean Business

megazoid81 writes "While there have been complaints of late, Google was recently named the best place to work according to the widely read annual Forbes survey, in its first appearance on the list. The plethora of perks at Google does make you wonder though what kind of hours the company expects its employees to keep. In the context of Google's perks, a Knowledge@Wharton article explains that there are two kinds of workers: segmentors and integrators. Segmentors want to maintain a strict separation between work and home while integrators don't mind mixing the two. The piece posits that segmentors might actually mind too many perks at their workplace and find their commitment eroding. Does Google have a disproportionate number of integrators in its workforce? What kind of worker are you — segmentor or integrator?"

Segmentors and integrators all covered in...

[Rob T Firefly]

there are two kinds of workers: segmentors and integrators. Segmentors want to maintain a strict separation between work and home while integrators don't mind mixing the two.

Am I the only one who immediately got the "three kinds of people" speech [imdb.com] from "Team America: World Police" stuck in their head upon reading this?

Segmentation

[Bicx]

The only integration I'll ever do was in calculus class.

Re:Non-issue

[Timesprout]

Or sleep and pleasure?

Someone has never had a wet dream.

Two kinds of people

[Anonymous Coward]

There are two kinds of people: those who divide people into two groups, and those who don't.

Re:Non-issue

[Valdez]

I don't know about you, but my GF seems to pretty adept at integrating her sleep with my pleasure. =(

Re:Non-issue

[AutopsyReport]

Or sleep and pleasure? Not very well.

Speak for yourself. I sleep on top of a big pile of money with many beautiful ladies.

Integrator

[smithwis]

I'm an integrator of the highest order. I integrate so much freetime into my work that even I wonder how I get anything done.

Oh, do think Google wants me to integrate work into my off time?

Integration Not Complete enough

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

I am an ideal integrator. I would love to work at a place that is completely integrated. I could work for google, have a google wife, 2.5 google kids, live in a google house, drive to google in my google car, drop of my laundry of google brand clothes at the google dry cleaners, eat at the googleteria, taking a break at 5 to go to the google bar to share a few drinks with my google friends, pick the kids up from google school, and head out for a night at the google opera with my google wife. That would be perfect. All of my needs would be met entirely.

However, anything short of that requires me to segment my personal life from work. I need to fulfill the needs that work doesn't provide, requiring necessary non work related period. Perks would be nice, but not if they distract me for fulfilling the other needs. As the article says, they'd get in the way of my real life. At least thats what happened when I tried living a truly integrated workplace, very far from google. I went a whole month without leaving the compound's gates. Needless to say, I was not attending any operas with my wife. Which is why I had to leave. It was like 75% perfect, but anything short of perfection sucks.

Re:Hey I know that guy

[Itninja]

he's a nice guy, causes no trouble, but socially he's totally aloof

I can't be sure, but that sounds like a serial killer to me. Or maybe you guys are all just a bunch of dicks.

Just to summarize, there are only two possible reasons for his behavoir:

1) He is a a serial killer

2) You are dicks

No other possible explanations that I can think of....

Both!

[DdJ]

I'm an Integrater from about 10am to about 4pm on work days, and a Segmentor the rest of the time.

Re:Children at work

[voice_of_all_reason]

At lunch, I do what I please -- which is usually eating a small lunch and taking a 15-minute nap in the car.

Sir, you are a genius.

Re:Meanwhile, in the Land of False Dichotomies...

[P3NIS_CLEAVER]

Yes, there are two kinds of people! Those who must classify /. articles and those who don't.

Re:Non-issue

[Anonymous Coward]

I still pee the bed, you insensitive clod.

Re:Non-issue

[dubbreak]

If you have sex regularly you won't have wet dreams. Of course, if you are at work all the time (especially some place like google) you most definitely aren't getting laid on a frequent basis.

Google workers

[Brandybuck]

I know some google engineers, and they are expected to work very long hours. There's nothing in writing that says you have to be there all day, but the pressure is there. Sure the rules say you only have to work eight hours and wear thirteen pieces of flair, but if you want to be a true Googlan you should voluntarily work until the last shuttle to Caltrain leaves, and voluntarily wear as many pieces of flair that will fit on your ultrawide suspenders.

Another "incentive" is even more subtle. You're told all day long by Slashdot and the tech media that you are a genius. You have to be a genius otherwise Google would never hire you. But you're not a genius, you're just the average software developer. So you have to prove to your boss that you're a genius. What you lack in the way of perceived intelligence you make up for through longer hours.

Because Google is concerned for your well being and health, you won't die of a heart attack by age thirty. But you will be single by age thirty (either divorced or never married).

Re:Non-issue

[JavaRob]

You know how people say 'you shouldn't post anonymously except in a few, rare situations'?
Well, this was one of those situations.