Google gives employees 10pc raise plus US$1,000 cash bonus

10 Nov 2010

Search and online advertising giant Google has given all of its employees a 10pc salary increase for 2011 plus US$1,000 in cash, it has emerged.

Google will also give each of its 20,000 employees an additional raise equal to one times the employee’s target bonus for the year.

Google workers will also be eligible for additional merit increases based on their individual performance.

Not only that, but the 12-year-old company will pay the taxes on their holiday bonuses.

Best and brightest

The entire endeavour will cost the company US$1bn a year for the 10pc-plus raise, not to mention a further US$20m for the US$1,000 cash bonus.

In an internal email that has emerged online, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said: “We believe we have the best employees in the world. Period. The brightest, most capable group of this size ever assembled. It’s why I’m excited to come to work every day – and I’m sure you feel the same way. We want to make sure that you feel rewarded for your hard work, and we want to continue to attract the best people to Google.”

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com