Affected employees to lose system access within an hour; layoffs follow CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s push to “raise performance standards.”
February 9, 2025: Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is set to begin performance-based layoffs on Monday, February 10, impacting employees across more than a dozen countries. According to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider, affected employees will receive notifications via both work and personal emails and will lose access to company systems within an hour of being notified.
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In the memo, Meta’s Vice President of Human Resources, Janelle Gale, addressed the impact of the layoffs, writing, “For teams that have a teammate or manager exit on Monday, I understand this might be a difficult day, and there could be some disruption and short-term impacts on your day-to-day work.”
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Key Details of the Layoff Process:
- Scope of the Cuts: The layoffs are part of Meta’s previously announced plan to “raise the bar on performance management” and will impact approximately 3,600 employees, accounting for 5% of the company’s workforce.
- Global Rollout: Notifications will be staggered by region, starting in Asia-Pacific, moving through Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and concluding with North and Latin America. Employees in countries like France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands will follow local performance review processes due to regulatory requirements.
- Severance Details: Affected employees will receive information on severance packages in their notification emails. Severance terms include eligibility for February 15 stock vesting and bonuses.
- Reapplication Policy: While terminated employees cannot apply for internal roles during their notice period, they may reapply to Meta after their employment ends. Past performance will be considered during rehiring evaluations.
Background:
This round of layoffs follows a series of workforce reductions at Meta, with 21,000 employees being let go between 2022 and 2023. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously announced these measures to streamline operations and focus on high-performing talent.
Employee Support and Organizational Changes:
Meta plans to provide severance packages and retain certain benefits for affected employees. Managers will communicate organizational changes to their teams, though they may not have immediate answers to all questions.
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Meta layoffs, Mark Zuckerberg, performance-based layoffs, Facebook parent company, global job cuts, employee severance, workforce reduction, tech layoffs 2024