World
India
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has announced plans to lay off over 3,600 employees globally, affecting about 5% of its workforce. The layoffs, set to begin today at 5 a.m. local time, are part of Meta’s initiative to “raise the bar on performance management,” following CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s January announcement to move out low-performing staff.
Key Details About Meta’s Layoff Plan
- Impact on Employees: The layoffs are expected to affect the lowest-performing 5% of Meta’s workforce. Employees will receive notifications via both work and personal email addresses, with access to company systems being revoked within an hour.
- Global Reach: The layoffs will be global, but employees in European countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands will be exempt due to local labor regulations.
- Severance and Benefits: Impacted employees will receive severance package details in their notification emails. They will also retain eligibility for stock vesting and bonuses if applicable, with the final date of employment being considered in this calculation.
- Performance Management: The company’s approach to performance termination comes after a shift in focus toward machine learning engineers, with expedited hiring planned between February 11 and March 13, particularly for AI development roles.
- Timelines: The layoffs will roll out regionally, beginning in Asia-Pacific and then moving to the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions, followed by North and Latin America. Employees in international regions may receive notifications from February 11-18.
A Change in Focus: AI and Machine Learning Talent
Despite the layoffs, Meta is accelerating its focus on AI and machine learning. The company aims to hire more machine learning engineers to drive its AI development initiatives forward, as outlined in a note from Peng Fan, VP of Engineering for Monetization.
Impact on Future Employment and Internal Hiring
- Internal Rehiring: Affected employees are not eligible for internal roles during their non-working period but may reapply to Meta after their official termination date.
- Performance Considerations: The company will consider past performance when deciding whether to rehire former employees in the future.
Managers will work with their teams to provide clarity on organizational changes, though there may be some uncertainty as the transition unfolds. Meta has made it clear that no company-wide communication will be issued once the notifications are complete.
ALSO READ: Arvind Kejriwal Reacts To AAP’s Lose In Delhi Elections 2025, ‘We Accept The Mandate’
