What it's really like to work at Google, one of the best places to work in the US (GOOG, GOOGL)

Employees rate the company a 4.4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor and CEO Sundar Pichai is consistently one of the highest-rated CEOs. Google ranked No. 4 on Glassdoor's most recent "Best Places to Work" ranking.

Jillian D'Onfro contributed to an earlier version of this post.

Google treats its employees to parties and outings like ski trips to Vermont and picnics during the summer.

One current Google employee writes: "

Top executives like Alphabet CEO Larry Page and President Sergey Brin frequently hold forums on Fridays called TGIF, where employees can ask questions about the company.

Employees have access to gyms, volleyball courts, a bowling alley, and an outdoor sports park at Google's Mountain View campus.

Wellness is a priority at Google, so employees are encouraged to use the company's facilities to exercise, employees say.

The company serves employees three meals a day, all of which are free. Google is known for serving gourmet food, and has numerous cafes and food trucks at its Mountain View campus.

Google spends millions each year on food for its employees and staffs its kitchens with hundreds of employees.

Google employees make a median salary of $140,000, and employees say they get healthy bonuses, stock options, and 401k matching.

And 91% of employees

There are all kinds of perks like massages, music lessons, and the option to bring their dogs to the office.

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Many Googlers talk about the flexibility within the company and say that they've moved to new teams, projects, or departments fairly easily.

As long as employees are performing well, they're able to move around within the company. Employees also say that promotions are fair and happen frequently.

Officially, many Googlers can also spend time working on other projects the interest them, outside of their day-to-day responsibilities.

One software engineer said he got to spend 20% of his time on the self-driving car team.

Google has its own in-house tech support called TechStop, which is open 24/7 to help employees with hardware and software issues.

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Commuting is free for Google employees at the Mountain View campus — they can ride a free shuttle bus to work each day.

The buses come equipped with Wi-fi, so employees can either relax or get some work done during their commute.

Google offers benefits to the spouse of any employee who dies.

Google makes sure to help out the families of deceased employees. If employees die, not only does their stock immediately vest, but their husband or wife will get half of the employee's salary for 10 years, plus $1,000 per month for any children.

Google's facilities are top-of-the-line, featuring indoor rock-climbing walls, facades designed by well-known architects, and breathtaking views.

Google's San Francisco office has stunning views of the Bay Bridge, while the company's Los Angeles office is located inside Frank Gehry's famous Binoculars Building in Venice Beach.

Employees generally respect their teammates.

Googlers describe their fellow employees as "great colleagues with great technical skills

Google's parental leave policy is unusual, employees say. New dads can take up to six weeks off (which is a typical policy for new mothers) while moms can take triple that.

And employees' stock continues to vest while they're on leave.