Meta laid off nearly 8,000 employees earlier this month as part of its latest workforce reduction. The layoffs began in Singapore, where at 4 am local time, emails were sent to workers who were being laid off. Alongside the job cuts, the social media giant has announced plans to move more than 7,000 people to work on new initiatives around artificial intelligence.
Support for Affected Employees
In the memo sent to affected employees, Meta acknowledged the added uncertainty faced by visa-sponsored workers and shared immigration-related guidance to help them navigate the situation. The memo directed impacted employees to the company’s Alumni Portal, where they could access legal support details and raise case-specific questions.
What Meta Told H-1B Visa Employees
In the memo, Meta wrote: “We know this is especially difficult for those whose visa and work authorization is sponsored by Meta. The Alumni Portal has general immigration guidance to help address your immediate questions.” According to the memo, the guidance available on the portal also includes contact details for the law firm assigned to affected employees. “The guidance also contains the contact information for your assigned law firm,” the company said. “You can also open a case via the Alumni Portal if you have specific questions about your case.”
Severance for Laid Off Meta Employees
As stated by the company in the memo, a Regular Employee (FTE) affected by the latest layoff will be eligible for the following severance offer:
- Severance payment of 16 weeks plus two weeks for every year of completed services, minus your notice period. Please see the cover sheet of the attached Separation Agreement for more details on this calculation.
- Payment of COBRA (health insurance) premiums for you and your family (if they are dependents on your current plan) for 18 months.
Meta said that an employee must sign a “Separation Agreement” in order to receive the severance payout. In case a user fails to receive the agreement, they can submit a case via the Alumni Portal.
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