Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, recently fired around two dozen employees from its Los Angeles office for misusing company meal vouchers.
These credits, intended to provide meals for employees working long hours, were reportedly used for non-food items, including laundry detergent, acne treatment pads, and even wine glasses.
A source close to the company confirmed the details, following an internal investigation.
Meal Credits Intended for Food at the Office
Many of Meta’s corporate offices offer elaborate meal services as a perk, with some locations boasting upscale cafeterias.
However, for employees in smaller offices where such services are not available, Meta provides daily meal credits: $20 for breakfast and $25 each for lunch and dinner.
These allowances are designed to ensure that employees working long hours can have food delivered while on the job.
However, the internal probe revealed that some employees had used these meal funds inappropriately.
Instead of ordering food to be delivered to the office, some staff members were purchasing personal items or having meals delivered to their homes, which violated Meta’s policy.
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Broader Layoffs and Restructuring at Meta
The dismissals come amidst a broader wave of layoffs and restructuring within Meta.
While the misuse of meal credits was a localized issue, the company has been laying off employees across different divisions, including Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Reality Labs, which focuses on virtual reality and the metaverse.
According to Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton, the current round of layoffs and restructuring efforts is part of an ongoing strategy to realign resources with the company’s long-term goals.
Clayton added that Meta strives to find alternative roles for employees whose positions are eliminated, but in this case, the employees involved in the meal voucher misuse were terminated.
Meta’s Focus on Efficiency
These firings are set against the backdrop of Meta’s larger “year of efficiency,” a term coined by CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
To reverse revenue declines and stagnating user growth, Meta laid off more than 20,000 employees in 2022 across several rounds of job cuts.
The company has been focusing on reducing costs and streamlining operations to regain momentum. As a result, Meta’s stock has risen nearly 80 percent compared to the same period last year.
The latest wave of layoffs also impacted high-profile employees, including Jane Manchun Wong, a prominent security researcher who became known for predicting social media features before they were officially released.
Wong, who had been hired by Meta to work on Instagram and Threads in June 2023, was among those laid off in this restructuring round.
Looking Ahead: A Focus on Strategy
As Meta continues to restructure and refocus, these dismissals highlight the company’s strict enforcement of policies, even in seemingly minor areas like meal vouchers.
The company’s broader goal of efficiency will likely lead to more shifts in its workforce and a continued focus on maintaining a leaner, more strategically aligned operation.
Whether these measures will fully restore Meta’s growth and profitability remains to be seen, but the company’s commitment to enforcing internal policies and optimizing resources is clear.
