Oh gosh, talk about a crazy scare tactic here. First, why would anyone want $1000 in cash to take home instead of just direct depositing it? Second, the employees are more likely to be mugged by other Google employees than they are by some confluence of a) a person who reads tech blogs b) a person who knows where a Google employee lives c) has the ethical "challenges" that would make them want to risk jail time for a measly $1k.
Unless Google paid the bonuses in cash, I don't see how this would expose them to any sort of mugging.<p>I just find this whole thing ridiculous. With 23,000 employees - and the friends and family they shared the news with - the news was bound to get out anyway.
By that logic google paying their employees via electronic methods exposes them to identity fraud. Given that employees were given a choice, they took the risk upon themselves.<p>This is just PR coverage for firing an employee because they embarrassed Google. I mean seriously, who sends actual 'confidential' information to all employees. Furthermore, courts have ruled that pay information is not confidential and to restrict employees from talking about their pay violates their rights to free speech.<p>If Google were actually concerned about employees getting mugged they would not offer a cash payment. I mean how hard would it be for google to arrange an electronic transfer to take place on the day of the announcement.