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October 4, 2013

Facebook to build $120m luxury housing estate for staff

Encouraging employees to spend time with each other?

By Cbr Rolling Blog

Facebook employees could soon enjoy use of a swimming pool, spa and sports pub as the social networking site plans to develop a housing complex.

The 630,000sq property called Anton Menlo also features a rooftop entertainment deck, bike repair shops and a day care centre for pets, according to the Wall Street Journal.

John Tenanes, Facebook’s director of real estate who is involved in the project, told the paper:
"’The beauty of this thing is that it’s extremely close to our campus….It’s a five-minute bike ride along a dedicated path that runs along the San Francisco bay."

As convenient, fun and relaxing as this appears to be, it strikes me as deceptive. Shouldn’t there be a separation between the way you make your living and the way you live? If plans go ahead, it would mean employees are still with colleagues and thinking about work when they’re meant to be relaxing at home.

"One of Facebook’s corporate goals is to take care of as many aspects of its employees lives as possible. They don’t have to worry about transportation – there’s a bus for that. Laundry and dry cleaning? Check. Hairstylists, woodworking classes, bike maintenance. Check," he said.

This could mean as well as Facebook embracing every detail of their virtual likes, dislikes, love lives, habits and obsessions on the internet, it could keep track of all their footsteps, where they shop and other activities – the area is within walking distance from Facebook’s office in Menlo Park.

If I was a Facebook employee, I’d run far away and never look back.

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