Meta lays off 'low performers', expected to affect up to 3,600 employees
About a month after Meta announced its policy of 'allowing low-performing employees to leave early,' it has finally begun to lay off employees. However, there are complaints from employees that the criteria for layoffs are not clear.
Meta's 'low performer' layoffs disputed by fired staffers and criticized by experts | Fortune
In January 2025, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly sent a message to the company saying that 'low-performing employees will be let go early.' Another message from a Meta director revealed that the affected employees were 5% of all employees, and based on the total number of employees known from the company's financial statements, the number of affected employees is estimated to be about 3,600. On the other hand, it has been reported that 'a public relations representative said that vacant positions will be filled with new hires,' and it is believed that the company is trying to improve its performance by replacing personnel rather than downsizing.
Meta plans to cut 5% of underperforming employees - GIGAZINE
According to reports from Fortune and other sources, the cuts have begun, with some employees actually being fired. The fired employees are expressing their dissatisfaction.
Kayla Curry, who was in charge of product management, told LinkedIn, 'I was evaluated as having exceeded expectations and was put on projects that multiple managers deemed not set up to be successful. I was never on a performance improvement plan and was always told I was doing a good job.' She said she had no idea why she was being laid off, speculating that 'maybe it was because she rebelled against the removal of safeguards to protect LGBTQ+ users.'
'I was labeled 'fired for poor performance,' but I don't think there's any relationship between the person being fired and their performance, and it's misleading,'
Dan Cable, a professor at London Business School, also said: 'Being called a low performer at Meta doesn't automatically mean you'll be a low performer in other environments. The kind of people who work at Meta are probably very valuable in the market, so the label feels even worse.'
The Irish trade union Financial Services Union said it was 'disrespectful' and unacceptable after learning that about 100 of the roughly 2,000 employees employed in Ireland had been laid off. 'We all expect to be treated with respect in the workplace,' it said , arguing that the allegation that employees were let go because they were underperforming was problematic.
Meta is also trying to change its practices by scrapping its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program, but Meta's chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, has said , 'If you don't like the new policies, you should consider working for another company.'
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