Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has recently initiated a significant round of layoffs, aiming to reduce its global workforce by approximately 5%, which translates to around 3,600 employees across Europe, Asia, and the United States. The company has stated that these layoffs are performance-based, targeting employees who did not meet specified expectations.

Contrary to Meta’s official stance, several former employees have come forward, alleging that the layoffs disproportionately affected individuals who had recently taken leaves of absence, including maternity leave. One notable case is that of Elana Reman Safner, a product counsel with over three years at MetaWorks. Safner, who returned from a six-month maternity leave in November, expressed her shock at being laid off, stating that she had consistently received performance reviews meeting or exceeding expectations. She voiced her concerns on LinkedIn, suggesting that the layoffs were not genuinely performance-based but instead targeted those who had taken recent leaves.

Safner’s sentiments echo a broader discontent among affected employees. Many have reported receiving positive performance evaluations prior to their termination, leading to accusations that Meta’s layoff criteria may have unfairly included those who utilized their entitled leave benefits. In her LinkedIn post, Safner criticized various aspects of Meta’s corporate culture, including what she described as CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “newfound masculine energy” and the unpredictable nature of career progression within the company.

In response to these allegations, Meta has maintained that the layoffs were strictly performance-related. An internal memo emphasized that the decision to terminate certain employees was based solely on their failure to meet the company’s performance expectations.

These developments at Meta occur amidst a broader trend of workforce reductions in the tech industry, as companies reassess their operational strategies and workforce requirements. However, the specific allegations of targeting employees who have taken leave have sparked discussions about corporate ethics, employee rights, and the transparency of performance evaluation processes within major corporations.

Key Highlights:

• Meta has laid off approximately 3,600 employees, citing performance-based reasons.
• Some former employees allege that the layoffs disproportionately affected those who had recently taken leaves of absence, including maternity leave.
• Meta maintains that the layoffs were solely based on performance metrics.
• The situation has ignited discussions on corporate ethics and the transparency of performance evaluations in large tech companies.