This sounds very much like how it is to work at DESY and CERN. However, at CERN and even more so at DESY, the general environs are not that pleasant. CERN can be pretty sweet, although many of the buildings don't have aircon and the furniture and computers can be outdated. DESY is worse and just tore up its soccer pitch a couple of years ago to build on top of it.
The canteens at CERN are pretty good, but the canteen at DESY is dire. However, there seems to be the same easy-going, yet intensely competitive dominated-by-young-clever-people vibe at Google as I've seen at these labs. I wonder if they took any inspiration from particle physics labs when they designed their offices?
"""but the canteen at DESY is dire"""
mmmm... restaurant 3? :)
I've been working at CERN and I think is not comparable. Your salary doesn't depend on the hours you spend on the project, AFAIK there are no bonuses. Also some buildings (like 33) close at 7 during weekdays and if you want a coffee, a snack or to take a shower you need to ask for special permision to enter. You're not encouraged to do extra hours(although I did...a lot)
I actually worked on the St Genis side and ate at resto 3 a lot...I agree it's bad, but it's still much, much better than the DESY canteen. There are no words...when I lived in Hamburg, I used to eat PausenBrot from the vending machines rather than visit the canteen. And CERN's resto 2 in the summer is lovely, I think! I always put on weight at CERN.
CERN staff members may not be encouraged to do extra hours, but all students and post-docs (and a lot of faculty!) that I know must work 60+ hours a week. (Do you know anyone in physics that works 35-40 hours a week?) Partly because they like the job and partly because the competition is so fierce. At DESY, we worked 10am-10pm most days and people were on their computers at home. You're right that your compensation does not depend upon hours worked, but a lot of the time your reputation and the number of publications do - without reputation and publications, you don't get your next grant.
The canteens at CERN are pretty good, but the canteen at DESY is dire. However, there seems to be the same easy-going, yet intensely competitive dominated-by-young-clever-people vibe at Google as I've seen at these labs. I wonder if they took any inspiration from particle physics labs when they designed their offices?