Google pays even after death — inside the most generous employee death policy in Silicon Valley

Google employee death benefits: At Google, the philosophy is simple: take care of your people in life and even after death, as per a report. That belief is reflected in one of the most quietly generous benefits in Silicon Valley, if a Google employee dies, the company pays 50% of their salary to their spouse for 10 years, as per a Fortune report. There’s no fine print. No tenure requirements. From day one on the job, this benefit is in place.

Google’s Death Benefits: A Safety Net That Begins on Day One

The benefit, which was reported by Fortune in 2012, does not have any tenure requirement. Every Google employee is immediately eligible for this benefit regardless of how long they have worked at the company, as reported by Fortune.

What Happens When a Googler Passes Away? A Closer Look at the Company’s Support

The generous death benefits for employees at Google came to the spotlight after Angela Lin, a 29-year-old software engineer at Google, passed away on July 19 as a tree branch fell on her, as per the Fortune report.


Lin was on a weekend hike in Yosemite National Park with her boyfriend and two close friends when suddenly the four friends heard a large crack from the trees, a bunch of small branches fell to the ground, and one big branch struck Angela, as reported by Fortune.

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David Hua, Lin’s boyfriend, told SFGate, “It was just unimaginable that something like this could occur,” as quoted by Fortune.

He said that he had closed his eyes for a moment as the branches fell, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Lin on the ground, with blood pooled around her head, as per the report. Hua immediately called 911 and performed CPR until a park ranger, and later police, arrived at the accident spot, according to Fortune.

However, emergency responders revealed that the falling branch had killed Lin instantly, as per the report.

Lin had spent the past six years building a strong career in tech, first at Salesforce and more recently at Google, as reported by Fortune. She earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and had been working in the San Francisco area, where she was growing professionally and personally, surrounded by friends and loved ones, according to the report.

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How Google Supports Families After Employee Deaths

A Google spokesperson confirmed her passing and said that “We lost a loved and respected member of our team. We’re very saddened by this tragedy, and our hearts are with their family and loved ones,” as quoted by Fortune.

But Google’s support doesn’t stop there. In addition to continuing 50% of the employee’s salary for a decade, the company also provides stock benefits to the spouse of the deceased employee, according to the report. Along with that, the child of the deceased receives $1,000 a month until they turn 19 years old, as per the Fortune report. These benefits are extended to all families, including same-sex couples, a policy the company confirmed as far back as 2012 to Business Insider.

FAQs

What does Google do if an employee passes away?
Google continues to pay 50% of the employee’s salary to their spouse for 10 years.

Are Google’s death benefits available to new employees?
Yes. These benefits apply from day one, there’s no minimum tenure required.