Alphabet Inc.'s Google is famousfor generous benefits and luxurious working conditions, but morethan half of its workforce is not full time. (Photo:Shutterstock)

Google will require contracting companies it does business withto give employees health care, parental leave and other benefits.The decision comes after months of activism from Google staff andcontractors asking for equal treatment.

The new policy will require health benefits, sick leave, a $15minimum wage, paid parental leave and $5,000 a year foreducation, a Google spokeswoman wrote in an email.

More than half the internet giant's workforce is not full time.The company pays for tens of thousands of contractors, temporaryworkers and vendors — known internally as TVCs — who do everythingfrom serving food in cafeterias to software code. Some of thesepeople are employed by large staffing firms, including Adecco GroupAG and Randstad NV.

Related: Amazon's working moms campaign for childcarehelp

Alphabet Inc.'s Google is famous for generous benefits andluxurious working conditions. Now, contracting firms will have tooffer some of these expensive benefits, too.

Google's top requirement is comprehensive health care thatcovers the employee and their dependents and includeshospitalization, preventative and wellness services, laboratory andemergency services, prescription drugs, mental health services,labor and delivery, newborn and pediatric services, oral and visioncare, rehabilitative and habilitative care, and counseling.

A Google representative told the Hill that the company will givesuppliers until 2022 to institute the health-care benefits. TheHill reported Google's move earlier.

Contracting firms must also provide a minimum of eight days ofsick leave, plus 12 weeks of paid leave for birth parents,non-birth and adoptive parents. The $5,000 a year for educationwill be in the form of tuition reimbursement to learn new skills ortake courses, Google said.

“Going forward, in order to do business with Google, allcompanies that employ U.S. vendors and temporary staff will need toprovide these things,” the spokeswoman said.

Read more: 

• Google bows to employee pressure, ends forcedarbitration
• Inside Google's invisibleworkforce
• Shareholders, workers call on Google to fix'diversity crisis'

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