Google Forced to Get Back into Fightin' Shape

I'm always forced to pick my jaw up off the floor when I hear about the luxurious working environment offered to Google employees. From "safe" lap pools (note the Life Guard) to lounges that compete with today's nicest pool halls, Google employees are well taken care of. Oh, and did I mention the "pamper" services? These services include barbers, professional masseuses, world-renown chefs for Google's world-renown cafe(see below), and a kennel for your dogs (no cats). If amenities like these don't make you second guess your own workplace, then you're just plain crazy and you should leave now. Seriously. Leave.

But now it seems Google is having to make some small sacrifices, due to the recession that's plaguing the majority of world markets. Early rumors were that many of the above mentioned "bonus" services would be done away with. Other rumors even started about Google possibly laying off its own employees. Needless to say, even employees of Google were feeling the strains of economic downturn just like the rest of us.

And in case you heard a loud "whoosh" recently, that was the sound of Google employees breathing a unanimous sigh of relief, as their employer announced that no full-time employee will be let go at this time.

Here's Time's take on the matter:
"It's not just afternoon tea that's falling by the wayside at the famously employee-friendly firm. Although Google hasn't handed out pink slips to any of its 20,000 full-time employees, it has cut about half of its additional 10,000 contract workers in recent months. And, previously one of the biggest recruiters of MBAs on college campuses, Google is eschewing such pricey new hires, although it is still bringing on new engineers."

But while many people view "change" or "cut-backs" as a bad thing, this can potentially make Google bigger, faster, and stronger. Just as an athlete will lose "fat" when conditioning his/her body, so will Google shed the unnecessary and wasteful parts of the company. This will make them an even more competitive business force than they already are.

So is the market forcing Google to change? Yes. Is it forcing Google to cut back? Yes. Are either of these things a bad thing? No, neither of them are. In fact, they will force Google to become better than they already are by losing