Google’s reputation for being a great place to work precedes itself. But who knew that it’s also a great place to die? Meghan Casserly at Forbes recently reported on a little-known Google employee benefit: If a U.S. Google employee passes away, the surviving spouse or domestic partner will receive a check for 50% of their salary every year for ten years. The policy applies to every one of Google’s 34,000 employees, with no tenure requirement. Surviving spouses also see all stocks vested immediately, and children receive a $1,000 monthly payment from Google until they reach the age of 19 — or 23 if the child is a full-time student. Google’s Chief People Officer Laszlo Bock says “The reason we’re doing these things for employees is not because it’s important to the business, but simply because it’s the right thing to do.”
If you’re a leader of an organization, what’s one thing you can do right now, because it’s the right thing to do? If you’re an employee, what’s one thing would you recommend? As I wrote in Relationship Economics, business relationships are as critical inside an organization as they’re external to it…
