According to reports, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is reducing several office benefits, including free food and snacks in the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has advocated for the return of employees to the workplace.
Businesses in the technology sector are experimenting with new approaches to reduce costs and boost organisational effectiveness. Apparently, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is reducing employee benefits such as complimentary meals and refreshments in the cafeteria. The most recent report indicates that Meta has received employee concerns about reduced workplace benefits.
According to a media report, many Meta employees are dissatisfied with the reduction in cafeteria offerings, which includes a lack of snacks and cereals and the termination of complimentary meal services and other perks.
Meta continues to reduce expenses as part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “year of efficiency.” Last year, the company divulged layoffs affecting nearly 11,000 employees, and in March of this year, it disclosed plans to eliminate another 10,000 positions in the near future. According to reports, employee morale has deteriorated as a result of impending redundancies and concerns about the company’s future, with several workers feeling uncertain and fearful about their job security.
The report also highlighted how employees have resorted to creating memes about the impending layoffs, with some characterising the work environment as “Hunger Games” meets “Lord of the Flies,” with employees feeling compelled to prove their value to management.
In addition to reducing cafeteria offerings, Meta has reportedly reduced other workplace amenities, including free laundry and dry cleaning services, health and wellness benefits, and more. In an effort to reduce costs, the company has also moved the complimentary supper service a half-hour later and eliminated to-go containers.
In the meantime, Zuckerberg has been encouraging employees to return to work. In a recent meeting with all employees, he stated that while Meta will continue to permit remote work, the company will review performance data and possibly alter its policy over the summer. During an earnings call, he also referenced internal research indicating that early-career engineers who joined the company in person performed better than those who worked remotely.
In the tech industry, it is not uncommon for companies to reduce office amenities; Google and Salesforce have also reduced office perks. In the past, workplace benefits were utilised to maintain competitiveness and encourage employees to work longer hours.