Wage buyout at gmail symbol

I think you might be referring to the "Google Offer" or "Google Buyout" that was made to some employees at Google (now known as Alphabet) in 2009.

In 2009, Google made a one-time offer to buy out the stock options of some employees who were at risk of losing their vesting schedules due to the company's rapid growth and changes in its stock price. This offer was made to help these employees avoid a potential financial loss and to simplify the company's equity compensation structure.

The offer was made in the form of a "cash-out" option, where employees could choose to sell their outstanding stock options to Google at a predetermined price, rather than continuing to hold onto them and risk losing their value. The offer was only available to a limited number of employees who were most affected by the changes in the company's stock price.

The Google Offer was seen as a way for the company to show appreciation for its employees' hard work and to help them navigate the challenges of the rapidly changing tech industry. It was also seen as a way for Google to simplify its equity compensation structure and to reduce the complexity of its employee stock option plans.

It's worth noting that the Google Offer was a one-time event and was not a regular practice at Google. The company has since moved away from offering buyouts to employees, and instead focuses on providing competitive compensation and benefits packages to its employees.