• Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock
Investing

Meta layoffs: workers challenge Zuckerberg’s ‘low performer’ justification

by February 12, 2025
written by February 12, 2025

Following Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s mid-January warning to employees about raising performance standards and cutting 5% of the workforce, recent layoffs impacting approximately 3,600 workers have generated controversy.

Some affected employees are challenging the company’s assertion that the cuts solely targeted low performers, claiming they received favorable performance reviews.

Zuckerberg’s warning: raising the bar on performance

In an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg, Zuckerberg stated the plan to “manage out people who aren’t meeting expectations over the course of a year,” and “do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle.”

At the time, Zuckerberg made it sound as if it would just be low performers who would be affected by the layoffs.

However, some workers who claim they received favorable performance reviews and were otherwise not the lowest performers have gotten caught up in the cuts, which began Monday and impacted about 3,600 workers.

One former Meta employee, Kaila Curry, posted on LinkedIn that she was laid off despite receiving an “exceeds expectations” rating on her midyear review.

“I frequently asked for feedback and was always told I was doing a good job,” Curry wrote.

I was never placed on a PIP [performance improvement plan], never given corrective feedback, and never properly mentored or provided clear expectations. I simply put in the work… I am not a low performer.

Another laid-off ex-Meta employee, LinkedIn user Steven S., a former product designer for Instagram, claimed the company’s assertion it’s cutting the dead wood is “flat-out wrong,” noting that the “label is misleading, and for many of us, it’s flat-out wrong.”

While this user didn’t mention or show what rating he received on the performance review.

Meta’s definition of “low performer”: unclear metrics

However, it’s unclear what Meta qualifies as a “low performer.”

The company didn’t immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Business Insider also spoke with several Meta employees who had been affected by the layoffs and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

They said they had received an “at or above expectations” rating on their 2024 assessments, which would rank them as mid-tier employees at Meta, not low performers.

“The hardest part is Meta publicly stating they’re cutting low performers, so it feels like we have the scarlet letter on our backs,” one employee told Business Insider.

People need to know we’re not underperformers.

Criticism of Meta’s messaging

Diane Brady, executive director of Fortune Live Media, criticized Zuckerberg’s labeling of Meta’s most recently laid-off employees as low-performing.

“There’s something to be said for letting people leave with their dignity intact rather than branding them as subpar performers,” Brady wrote in her CEO Daily newsletter on Tuesday.

“Companies that celebrate and support former employees tend to create more fans than foes.”

A ‘year of efficiency’

These layoffs follow Zuckerberg’s declared “year of efficiency” in 2023, which involved eliminating 10,000 jobs.

While Zuckerberg insisted the latest round of layoffs would exclusively impact the lowest-performing employees, the company has simultaneously expedited hiring for machine-learning engineers, as reported by Reuters, reflecting a strategic focus on AI development.

“From a hiring standpoint, our focus continues to be on adding technical talent to support our strategic priorities,” Susan Li, Meta’s chief financial officer, said during a January 29 call with investors.

For now, affected Meta employees will continue to question why they were let go.

“Maybe I ‘lacked masculine energy‘ (to quote Mark Zuckerberg himself),” Curry wrote. “Who knows?”

The post Meta layoffs: workers challenge Zuckerberg’s ‘low performer’ justification appeared first on Invezz

0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Asian shares display mixed performance amidst trade tensions and rate uncertainty
next post
Elon Musk’s OpenAI bid sparks legal chaos and investor doubts: just as he planned?

related articles

Asian markets open: Nikkei, Hang Seng fall on...

June 12, 2025

Aluminum and steel tariffs spark rise in secondary...

June 12, 2025

Airbus sees aviation boom ahead, global fleet to...

June 12, 2025

US-China trade talks and Washington’s decade-long effort to...

June 12, 2025

Europe markets open: Stoxx 600 dips as UK...

June 12, 2025

UK GDP falls by 0.3% in April as...

June 12, 2025

Gordon Brothers buys Poundland; pledges £80 mn for...

June 12, 2025

Air India plane crash: London-bound flight with 242...

June 12, 2025

Air India plane crash live update: Indian President...

June 12, 2025

Copper remains supported for now even as China...

June 12, 2025
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News, And Articles.


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Latest News

  • Americans who moved abroad say this big expense isn’t worth it

    August 7, 2024
  • Tim Scott fires back after Milwaukee mayor says he doesn’t ‘buy’ the idea that Trump surging with Black voters

    July 17, 2024
  • Sununu says ‘door is not closed’ on ’26 Senate run in battleground New Hampshire: ‘I would win’

    March 14, 2025
  • Chaos erupts at GOP lawmaker’s town hall after left-wing groups promote protests

    March 19, 2025
  • Paramount merger sparks concern among movie theater owners

    July 10, 2024

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Secret Service admits leaning on ‘state and local partners’ after claim it ignored Trump team’s past requests

    July 21, 2024
  • 2

    Five more House Democrats call on Biden to drop out, third US senator

    July 19, 2024
  • 3

    Elon and Vivek should tackle US funding for this boondoogle organization and score a multimillion dollar win

    December 4, 2024
  • 4

    Forex Profit Calculator: Maximize Your Trading Potential

    July 10, 2024
  • 5

    Biden calls to ‘lower the temperature’ then bashes Trump in NAACP speech

    July 17, 2024

Categories

  • Economy (829)
  • Editor's Pick (5,603)
  • Investing (634)
  • Stock (867)

Latest Posts

  • Boeing machinists reject new labor contract, extending strike

    October 25, 2024
  • From NTPC to Tata Power: 5 power stocks to watch as India braces for extreme summer

    March 6, 2025
  • Retail sales slumped 0.9% in January, down much more than expected

    February 15, 2025

Recent Posts

  • ‘This is no drill’: China’s dominance over US shipbuilding sparks bipartisan effort

    March 13, 2025
  • Israel vows to kill new Hamas political leader who plotted Oct. 7 massacre

    August 7, 2024
  • Massie drops colorful analogy opposing foreign aid, mocks Speaker Johnson with AI-generated image

    December 18, 2024

Editor’s Pick

  • Dogecoin and Shiba Inu: Dogecoin pulled back to a new low

    August 6, 2024
  • Ethereum manages to recover on Tuesday with support

    October 1, 2024
  • Asian shares display mixed performance amidst trade tensions and rate uncertainty

    February 12, 2025
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Disclaimer: moneyrisetoday.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2025 moneyrisetoday.com | All Rights Reserved

Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock