Chapter 5

Warm up Questions

1. Describe your perfect working conditions – what extras would you like an employer to provide for you?
2. If you work for a full day, what do you do about lunch?  Do you bring it with you, go out, or skip the meal?

Reading

Listen to the reading shown below.

1. Google Canada has an office in Kitchener, Ontario.  The office is in an old factory downtown that has had major renovations to allow it to be used as a modern technology office.  The office on Breithaupt Street has very high security, so it is not open to the public.  The inside of the enhanced office space is fantastic to those who dream of working there.  Google has built a modern work environment that offers several unique benefits to employees, and in return receives a high level of output from them.
2. When entering the building, the first private space beyond the lobby is the cafeteria.  This is a space to gather around long tables for fresh healthy meals, coffee and pastry, or snacks.  Along with offering food that is made fresh daily, there is no fee to employees for these meals and snacks.  Similarly, on each floor of the building there is a snack and drink counter to get a quick bite like a piece of fruit or a cup of tea.  The radical idea of feeding employees for free achieves two objectives for the company.  First of all, they do not lose time going out of the building for food, and they can save money.  Secondly, because the room is full of large tables, teamwork interactions continue through their breaks.  This is one way that Google builds a community among the employees.
3. Another health-conscious feature of the Google office location is the facilities for working out.  Workers who travel by bicycle, can bring their bikes to the inside storage space where there are tools and equipment for quick repairs.  Within the domain of exercise, the building has a weight room, an exercise room, and a trainer for consultation.  From the street in front of the building, there is a visible climbing wall in a converted elevator shaft from the old factory that the building used to be.  Depending on the season, the skating rink or volleyball court can be seen within the courtyard.  Employees can exercise in these facilities as their work allows; there are yoga classes scheduled throughout the week.  Allowing employees to take healthy exercise breaks during the workday keeps their motivation and energy levels high.
4. Employees who need some downtime while they are at the office can enter any one of the lounges located throughout the building.  These lounges are equipped with games, pinball machines, and pool tables.  These recreational game facilities also have a fridge with beer and occasionally a table full of pizza on Friday afternoons.  This feature allows employees to relax together, but they can also learn more about one another to build better teamwork.  The environment created by the game activities may also aid in creative thinking and problem solving among groups.
5. Not all the Google building is dedicated to enhancing teamwork.  There are areas for individual pursuits.  One is the sleeping pods on the top floor.  This space is dedicated to a quiet, safe space for employees to recharge.  The second individual space includes the work cubes.  These desks allow employees to focus completely on their job.  The area is quiet, and employees have control of the lighting and equipment.
6. There are other workplace norms that Google does not follow. Google offers a private bus service to employees who wish to commute to Kitchener from Toronto.  Nonetheless, any employee who wants to travel between the cities can use the bus.  A second radical difference for employees is the hardware desk where employees can pick up needed items such as cables or converters and monitors.  Employees are not charged a fee for the items that they take, but a record is kept of how much is being used. Finally, there is a maker space equipped with materials and machines and tools to build just about anything. These are other ways that the employer is saving employees time during the day and making it possible for them to collaborate and remedy issues related to their projects.
7. Employees at Google have access to several benefits that most Canadian employees dream about.  Google employees who have been with the company for many years may take these benefits for granted.  The unique strategies that Google uses to keep employees in the office has direct implications for the work an employee produces.  Some employees find the comprehensive approach of the company excessive; while for others, the perspective Google provides for them is exactly what they love to do their job.  Google provides employees a fantastic place to work.

Vocabulary Words

Listen to the pronunciation of the words listed below.