In this age of disappearing benefits, companies are scrambling to find creative ways to keep great employees.
This is how the discussion goes in most companies today:
Applicant: “Does this company have any death benefits?
Interviewer: “Yes, it does. When you die you don’t have to come to work anymore.”
However, a new policy just put in place at Google defies the norm. Under the new 
guidelines, a surviving spouse of a deceased Google employee will receive 50% of that employee’s salary every year for 10 years. In addition, the employee’s children will receive $1,000 a month until they turn 19 (or until 23 if they are full-time students). There’s no tenure or waiting requirement – all of the company’s 34,000 employees qualify.
The death benefits add to the legendary list of Google perks that already include free food, Foosball tables, on-site-dry-cleaning service, generous parental leave and more.
The way we hear about unemployment in the news today would lead us to think that companies can just be sloppy about what they provide because so many people are looking for jobs. No, companies are still desperate for people who bring clear value to the table – and they are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd with benefits to attract and keep those top players.
What would you like to see as a benefit from your company?
