Recent reports reveal that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, has fired employees for misusing the company’s meal voucher system. Workers reportedly abused the system by purchasing non-food items like toothpaste, washing powder, and even wine glasses with the vouchers intended for meals.
Voucher Misuse
Employees at Meta receive meal vouchers worth $25 for lunch, $20 for breakfast, and $25 for dinner. These vouchers are designed for ordering food through Grubhub, a popular delivery service in the U.S. However, some workers reportedly shared their vouchers with others, exceeded their spending limits, or made purchases unrelated to food.
Anonymous posts on the work social message board Blind confirmed that more than 30 employees were dismissed last week for these infractions. One user claimed, “They were given a warning to stop, which most did, but were still fired three months later.” Discrepancies exist regarding whether these employees received adequate warnings before their termination.
Company Layoffs
In addition to the voucher-related firings, Meta has been implementing broader job cuts across various divisions, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Reality Labs, the branch responsible for the Oculus virtual reality headset. Reports indicate that these layoffs are not connected to the voucher misuse incidents.
Jane Manchun Wong, a former security engineer at Meta, shared her experience on social media after losing her job as part of these larger layoffs. “I’m still trying to process this but I’m informed that my role at Meta has been impacted,” she stated on X, previously known as Twitter.
Strategic Changes
A spokesperson for Meta acknowledged the layoffs, stating, “A few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy.” The company aims to realign teams and transition some employees to different roles. When roles are eliminated, Meta claims to make efforts to find other opportunities for affected workers.
