Meta employees faced a pivotal day as the company began notifying about 10% of its workforce—approximately 8,000 positions—of their impending layoffs. This development, anticipated for weeks, started on May 20, with notifications sent out in three waves, starting at 4 a.m. local time across various regions. The HR chief, Janelle Gale, communicated the details in a memo directed to an employee resource group.
For U.S. employees affected by the layoffs, severance packages include 16 weeks of base pay—equivalent to four months—along with an additional two weeks for each year of continuous employment. Additionally, impacted employees will benefit from 18 months of healthcare coverage for themselves and their families, a significant increase from past offerings.
For employees outside the U.S., the severance packages will resemble the U.S. offerings but will vary based on local regulations and conditions. In comparison, other companies in the tech sector have offered more generous severance deals; Block, for instance, provided 20 weeks of salary along with additional healthcare support, while Amazon offered three months of full pay and healthcare benefits.
In her memo, Gale highlighted that managerial roles across Meta would also be affected, implementing a flatter organizational structure intended to foster agility and ownership within smaller teams. “We’re now at the stage where many orgs can operate with a flatter structure with smaller teams of pods/cohorts that can move faster and with more ownership,” she noted.
The emotional toll of the layoffs was palpable, as Gale previously acknowledged during an internal meeting that employee morale had declined due to the uncertainty. The company has wrestled with the challenges of maintaining a positive work environment amid such significant changes.
Meta’s announcement of layoffs on April 23 cited a need to enhance operational efficiency and balance out heavy investments in future initiatives. Alongside the cuts, Meta plans to reassign over 7,000 employees to focus on new artificial intelligence developments—a move reflecting the company’s commitment to investing heavily in the AI sector. The company has forecasted its capital expenditures for 2026 to range from $125 billion to $145 billion.
Leaders within Meta have communicated that further job cuts should not be ruled out, leaving employees uncertain about their future with the company as the transition unfolds.
