Telling the world that Googlers are all going to be walking around with $1000 cash in their pockets is a threat to their safety.
I think that's a weak argument. First, I doubt Google is literally going to give everyone cash. Second, a 10% pay increase is not a life-changing amount of money.
It's usually cash. They do it so that you'll actually spend it and be happy instead of just depositing it into your bank. Googler friends of mine say it happens every year a few weeks before christmas. This instance was unusual because the cash was given out so early.
A friend of mine also recalls a team who stuffs envelopes full of cash -- it's a lot of work stuffing 10,000 envelopes (this was for the MV offices)
I heard it really was going to be cash. Nothing encourages "go out and have some fun" like real deal pieces of green paper in your wallet. The raise says "we're a good place to work", the cash says "we're a fun place to work".
Googler friends of mine also confirmed it was actual cash. WHICH IS CRAZY. Because it means somewhere on Google's campus right now is 10,000x$1k = $10 million in cash. The great Google Bank Robbery of 2010 is just around the corner.
2) Sounds worse than a 3rd world country is $1k is such a meaty target. In Europe I often have more than that in my wallet without thinking anything about it.
And when you walk around with $1k in your pocket, do you wear big a sign saying that you have it? Trust me, that might get you in trouble even in Europe.
Depends on where you are in Europe. I'm in a very safe western Europe country. I don't have a sign, but most people have several hundred on them and they don't go to great efforts to hide that fact the way you have to in the states.
