[JumpCrisscross]

> death knell for large companies when they start a nickel-and-dime approach to cost cutting

Nickel and dimming would be requiring approvals and paperwork to buy a stapler. This is Google just not buying them. That seems reasonable at a tech company?

[taeric]

Nickel and dimming is when you are looking for cost savings that aren't even rounding errors in operational costs. Quietly not buying things that aren't getting used is fine. Announcing it as a "cost savings action" is borderline nuts in light of what that signals.

Note that none of us are discussing the fitness classes. Staples, though? Seriously? How did that make the memo?

[microtherion]

“If you need a stapler or tape, the receptionist desk has them to borrow.”

So each stapler use requires, say, a 5 minute detour (minimum, not counting lost focus or queueing) to the receptionist. At Google salaries, that's easily $10 in cost, so it's difficult to conceive how Google is expecting to come out ahead in the bargain.