Joe Nocera at the New York Times reports that Google has chosen to upgrade their day care such that “only its wealthiest employees can afford to use it.” Joe concludes the story saying:
“If Google had really wanted to do something path-breaking about its day care crisis, it would have spent less time creating elitist day care centers and more time figuring out how to “scale” day care for everybody no matter what their salaries.”
I agree. Although I wish Joe would’ve said just a little about gender here. Because I’m wondering… which employees are going to be forced to leave Google because of this? Which employees are going to be forced to stay home instead of being able to work because they no longer have good subsidized child care?
Is it going to be a bunch of men?
Yikes! Is the parenting/ working issue yet an actual social stigma, like it is in academia? Your post reminded me of this article in the chronicle, which really hits on the issue in HE: http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2008/06/2008061201c.htm I always think of it being much better in industry, but it sounds like I’m pretty wrong.