Sacked 2 days after joining, fired during maternity leave: How Meta layoff has affected its desi employees

After layoffs at Twitter, Meta fired 11,000 employees on Wednesday (9 November), around 13 per cent of its workforce.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced that he is laying off employees to make the company “more capital efficient” and also freezing hiring till the first financial quarter of 2023.

“I want to take accountability for these decisions and for how we got here. I know this is tough for everyone, and I’m especially sorry to those impacted,” he had said in a letter.

Many people including those affected by one of the worst lay-offs ever in the tech industry have taken to social media to express anger, shock and their plight on social media platforms.

Let’s look at the stories of some employees who were affected by the Meta layoff and what measures the company is taking to soften the blow.

‘Sacked two days after joining’

A LinkedIn user, who said he was a Meta employee laid off recently, shared his predicament.

The Indian man, named Himanshu V, said he had relocated to Canada from India for his new job at Meta and was fired only two days after his joining.

“I relocated to Canada to join Meta and two days after joining, my journey came to an end as I am impacted by the massive layoff. My heart goes out to everyone facing a difficult situation right now,” Himanshu, who according to his profile has worked with brands like Flipkart, GitHub and Adobe, wrote in his LinkedIn post.

”What’s next for me? Honestly, I have no idea! I’m looking forward to whatever comes next. Let me know if you know of any position or hiring for a software engineer (Canada or India),” he added.

Reacting to his post, several users hit out at Meta over the layoffs.

A user wrote, “I’m not sure how these things happen? How does a company not know that they’re making someone move across continents just to lay them off two days after?! Surely they had the ‘layoff list’ ready at least a couple of weeks in advance.”

Another commented, “I feel you buddy. I’m in a similar situation. Stay positive some one somewhere will help us out. All the Best!!’

Some users also shared other job opportunities with him.

Employee on maternity leave fired

Anneka Patel, whose profile says she is a communications manager at Facebook, was also among those who were let go.

In a lengthy LinkedIn post, Patel, who is on maternity leave, shared how she learnt that she has been sacked.

Describing her journey at the company, she wrote, “For those who know me, working at Facebook (now Meta) has been my dream ever since I moved from London to the Bay Area nine years ago. It’s been an incredible 2.5 years working on the Facebook Groups product, which I truly think is the best part of Facebook.”

She said she is open to work and is also looking forward to other employment opportunities.

“I’m going to continue to dedicate my time to my daughter over the next few months, and will be open to work in the New Year. While that’s a difficult decision to make knowing that it’s a competitive market out there with all the other tech layoffs, I know I’ll never get this time back with her,” Patel, who shared the post along with a picture of her holding her daughter, said.

What is Meta doing for its sacked employees?

Meta said the employees laid off on Wednesday will be eligible for 16 weeks of base pay along with two additional weeks for every year of service with no cap. They will also get their Paid Time Off (PTO).

The Facebook parent company also said it will cover the cost of healthcare for six months for the laid-off employees along with their families.

ALSO READ: American Dream turns Nightmare: How Elon Musk’s mass layoffs at Twitter affect H-1B visa holders

As per Indian Express, Zuckerberg said these ex-employees will be provided three months of career support with external vendors, including access to unpublished job leads.

For those working in the US on a visa such as H-1B, the Meta CEO said the company has immigration specialists to help them.

Mark Zuckerberg said Meta will provide three months of career support with external vendors to its laid-off employees. AFP File Photo

“I know this is especially difficult if you’re here on a visa. There’s a notice period before termination and some visa grace periods, which means everyone will have time to make plans and work through their immigration status. We have dedicated immigration specialists to help guide you based on what you and your family need,” Zuckerberg said in the letter, as per India Today.

“Outside the US, support will be similar, and we’ll follow up soon with separate processes that take into account local employment laws,” the letter added.

The layoff is especially cruel for those on H-1B visas in the US as they have only 60 days to get another job or they will be deported.

“Once laid off, an H-1B visa holder has a 60-day grace period within which to obtain another US job (under an H-1B transfer process, where the new employer does the sponsorship and relevant paperwork), or else he or she has to deport from the US,” as per Times of India. 

With inputs from agencies

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