Here’s how Meta is justifying its layoffs to thousands of employees

Meta officially announced a sweeping round of layoffs today that will impact thousands of employees across the business, or about 10% of the company’s 78,000-person workforce. 

In a memo to employees today—obtained by Business Insider—Meta remained coy about the rationale for the layoffs, using the same language as in prior internal communications. “As previously shared, we have   decided to reduce headcount as part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making,” the company wrote in the memo, which was signed by “Meta Leadership” and offered no further explanation for the job cuts.  

It seems clear this round of layoffs is driven by Meta’s ongoing investments in AI, the latest in a string of job cuts the company has made to accommodate its intense focus on those efforts. Just this week, Meta employees also learned that about 7,000 of them were being reassigned to AI initiatives, which the company claimed would “make us more productive and make ⁠the ​work more rewarding.” 

The repeated layoffs and hyperfocus on AI have left many Meta employees feeling frustrated and demoralized, according to recent reports. Some of them have openly pushed back on the company’s plans to keep doubling down on AI—like the use of mouse-tracking software on corporate devices to collect employee data for training Meta’s AI models. 

Read the company’s email to employees in full below: 

As previously shared, we have decided to reduce headcount as part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making. Unfortunately, your role has been eliminated as part of today’s reorganization. Before sharing additional details, we want to thank you for all you’ve contributed to Meta. We appreciate the important role you’ve played in the company’s journey.

We understand you will have questions as you process this news. Please read below to learn more. We also encourage you to view the Alumni Portal (Meta.com/alumni), which you can access within an hour of losing system access and has additional information and resources to assist you. More information about the Alumni Portal is below.

Non-working notice period

From today through [redacted] (your “Termination Date”), you are in a “non-working notice period.” During this time, your internal access will be removed and you do not need to do any additional work for Meta.

You will continue to accrue PTO until your Termination Date, and your remaining PTO will be paid out in your final paycheck at the end of this period. During the notice period, you will be paid “Notice Pay,” which you will see on your payslips and is the same amount as your salary.

Leave of absence (if applicable): Your employment will end on your Termination Date that was communicated to you. Any leaves of absence will end on your Termination Date. Please note that to the extent applicable, you may still continue to receive disability benefits after your separation date if your disability meets the disability plan requirements.

Your benefits and compensation will continue through your Termination Date.

You will continue to receive your full salary and benefits through your Termination Date, as well as any RSU grants that have vested on or before your Termination Date as provided in the Equity Incentive Plan. To support you in your job search, you will also have access to three complimentary months of external job search assistance through Lee Hecht Harrison (“LHH”), as further detailed in the enclosed LHH Outplacement Services flyer.

Severance details

Attached is a non-signable version of a Separation Agreement with full details of your individual package (do not sign this version). A signable Separation Agreement will be sent to your personal email address from [redacted] later today with full details of your individual package. You must sign your Separation Agreement to receive your severance payout.

If you do not receive an electronic signable Separation Agreement by the end of the day tomorrow on your personal email, please check your spam folder. If you still haven’t received the agreement, please submit a case via the Alumni Portal. (Note: If you apply for and accept a different position at Meta no later than one week prior to your Termination Date, you will remain a Meta employee and therefore this Separation Agreement will be void and you would not be eligible for severance under the terms of the Severance Plan.)

As a Regular Employee (FTE), you’re eligible for the following severance offer:

• Severance payment of 16 weeks plus two weeks for every year of completed services, minus your notice period. Please see the cover sheet of the attached Separation Agreement for more details on this calculation.
• Payment of COBRA (health insurance) premiums for you and your family (if they are dependents on your current plan) for 18 months.

Immigration (if applicable)

We know this is especially difficult for those whose visa and work authorization is sponsored by Meta. The Alumni Portal has general immigration guidance to help address your immediate questions. The guidance also contains the contact information for your assigned law firm. You can also open a case via the Alumni Portal if you have specific questions about your case.

System access and office information

Since you have entered a paid non-working notice period, your badge has been deactivated and your access to internal Meta systems will be removed this morning. If you are already in the office, we ask that you please gather any personal items at your desk and head home. If you have personal items that need to be retrieved, instructions are available on the Alumni Portal.

Getting more information

We know this is a lot to process, so we’ve compiled resources about pay, benefits and other considerations for you in the Alumni Portal. You can access the Alumni Portal within an hour of losing system access today as mentioned above. You will need your employee ID, which is provided at the top of this email, to access the site.

Finally, we want to say again that we’re grateful for your contributions. Your impact at Meta has been an important part of our story.

Sincerely,

Meta Leadership

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