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Yahoo Eating Google’s Lunch

Literally. A few companies have learned that one secret to encouraging workaholic employee behavior is never giving said employees an excuse to leave the building. Free lunch is a good example. The company doesn’t get that much extra work out of the employee; it’s mainly just a nice perk. Free dinner, however, is another story—it’s an insidious trap. For one thing, you won’t be hungry for that free dinner at quitting time, so you’ll probably work a little later anyway. (Cha-ching!) Finally you’re hungry enough to eat, and after that, well what the heck, what’s another hour or two back at your desk. (Cha-ching again! At the hourly rate these folks are making, a measly free dinner is nothing to trade for several extra hours of productivity.) Google is one company that’s serious about keeping employees at work; they offer both free lunch and dinner. The free food attracts non-employees as well. TechCrunch reports that Yahoo employees (who have to pay for food) are making a sport of crashing Google’s cafeteria at lunch time. I don’t know... That may be the only way Yahoo is ever going to eat Google’s lunch.