Question: Innovative thinking comes from creative minds. Technology companies must continually develop new products and applications for those products in order to stay competitive in today's rapidly changing marketplace. To maintain a creative workforce, companies must create a comfortable work environment that encourages and rewards creativity. Google offers many innovative benefits designed to make its employees' lives healthier, less complicated, and simply more fun. Beyond traditional medical, vacation, and retirement benefits, employees at Google's Mountain View, California headquarters can ride to work in a shuttle that serves the San Francisco area. Once at work, employees can:

• Drop their children off at the Kinderplex, Google's own child care center.

• Eat a free lunch or dinner cooked by gourmet chefs.

• Visit a doctor or receive a massage.

• Have their laundry dry cleaned.

• Exercise in the gym. Google is family friendly. New mothers receive 12 weeks of paid (75%) maternity leave. Fathers also receive between 2 and 6 weeks of parental leave. New parents are reimbursed for up to $500 for take-out meals during the first four weeks the new baby is home. Google also provides financial assistance to pay the legal and other fees in the adoption of a child. From ski trips to parking-lot roller hockey, Google makes working fun.

Critical Thinking

1. Google has offices all over the world. Identify three services you would suggest any company offer that would uniquely serve employees living in your city or state.

2. Why do you think Google employees are offered financial planning classes(FPC).