"As an example, the company spends at least $14 per employee per day on all that free food. At 19,000 employees, that works out to $67 million a year, or about 20 cents per share that would drop to the bottom line if Google were to have the temerity to ask its workers - shudder - to pay for their own meals. Twenty cents is a trifle; analysts expect 2008 earnings of nearly $20 per share. But in a pinch? No-brainer." - darren
Getting rid of the food would be tremendously destructive. It would be like getting rid of the chairs, except worse. - Paul Buchheit
Worse than getting rid of the chairs? - Jim Norris
Doesn't it cost more to hire so many people? The model should be limiting the workforce, while keeping existing employees as productive as possible. Otherwise it's like outsourcing without going overseas. - Chris White
Not having to pay makes the cafeterias much, much, much more efficient. You don't need standard portion sizes, or packaged items, or specific entree/side choices, or prices on menus, or cash registers, or checkout staff, or stored value cards. Nobody has to wait in line to pay, you can have smaller cafeterias, you can put leftovers in fridges for people to take at off hours, and there's less wastage. Having seen this, it's really a wonder why any company *does* charge. - ⓞnor
=@nor. Funny, I remember eating there when they did make you pay, although there were less employees at SGI. :) - Chris White
Another equally obvious idea, which I assume the author thinks is exactly as good as that one, is a company-wide reduction of salaries by $14/day, from the most-valued employees to the least-valued. - j1m
Yeah, they could also start charging employees to use their computers, maybe put a little quarter slot on the side like at the video arcade. - Paul Buchheit
I agree, getting rid of the food would be tremendously destructive. Food expenses are likely minuscule compared to other expenses (e.g., corporate travel, just to name one). Although I suppose putting a quarter slot on the computers might encourage engineers to work less and save electricity? =P - darren
This is why I'm glad that random journalists don't run businesses. Can you imagine the carnage? - Adewale Oshineye
I think it's interesting / telling that there's no way to comment on articles on CNN Money. - Adam Lasnik
