Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has made around 3,600 job cuts, or about 5% of its workforce, citing “performance-based” reasons. However, many former employees are speaking out on social media, claiming they were unfairly targeted due to their personal circumstances, such as taking approved leave for parental or medical reasons.
On the anonymous app Blind, Meta employees are sharing their experiences and criticizing leadership. Many claim that the company’s low-performer label is being misused, and some were laid off despite having excellent performance records. One former employee wrote: “I consistently exceeded expectations, had a baby in 2024, and got laid off.”
The culture shift at Meta has raised concerns among tech workers, who are subjected to waning job stability, decreased flexibility, and a change in culture as CEOs cut DEI initiatives. The company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has publicly backed President Trump, which has also sparked controversy.
Former employees on Blind claim that the layoffs are not just about performance but also about cost-cutting measures. One employee wrote: “Seems it was more about money than performance.” Another employee stated: “Meta is now the cruelest tech company out there.”
The trend of layoffs and culture shifts in Silicon Valley has raised questions about the treatment of employees, especially those with families or personal circumstances that require flexibility. As one Meta employee put it: “It’s so sad. Don’t even know who to trust at this point.”
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/02/13/laid-off-meta-employees-blast-zuckerberg-tech-parental-leave