Meta, the tech giant, terminated approximately two dozen Los Angeles-based employees after discovering they exploited company meal vouchers to purchase non-food items, raising concerns about policy enforcement and employee conduct.
- Meal Voucher System: Meta provided employees with daily meal credits of $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch, and $25 for dinner, intended for use at the office.
- Abuse of Credits: Employees misused these credits to buy household items such as acne pads, wine glasses, and laundry detergent from local stores including Rite Aid. One of these employees was making $400,000 per year.
- Consequences and Enforcement: While employees who occasionally misused the system received warnings, those involved in prolonged or systematic abuse were fired.
- Anonymous Revelations: A former employee shared on Blind, an anonymous platform, that they were terminated after admitting to buying non-food items with meal credits.
- Context of Layoffs: This incident comes amidst broader restructuring at Meta, which has included laying off 21,000 employees over two years as part of a drive toward greater corporate efficiency.
The firings at Meta highlight the challenges companies face in maintaining policy compliance among high-earning employees. It also underscores the broader pressures in the tech industry, where companies like Meta have had to make significant workforce reductions to stabilize finances post-pandemic expansion.
