On October 17, 2024, in a startling decision, Meta reportedly terminated several employees for misusing its meal voucher system. This incident took place amidst broader layoffs within the company, affecting various parts of its business.

Where and How the Incident Unfolded Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, provides its employees with daily meal vouchers valued at $25 for lunch, $20 for breakfast, and $25 for dinner. These vouchers are meant to be exclusively used for food purchases on Grubhub, a popular takeaway service in the United States.

In recent developments, employees were dismissed for allegedly abusing this system. Some workers were accused of purchasing non-food items such as toothpaste and washing powder, sharing vouchers with others, and exceeding budgetary limits. This information surfaced from anonymous posts on Blind, a message board used for professional discussions.

Confusion Over Warnings There seems to be conflicting narratives regarding whether the employees received prior warnings. While some users on Blind claimed they were warned and continued to be fired despite compliance, others stated that no such warnings were given. More than 30 employees faced termination due to these policy breaches.

Wider Job Cuts Across Meta This incident coincided with larger job cuts within Meta, particularly affecting subsidiaries like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Reality Labs, its wing dedicated to virtual reality and technologies like the Oculus headset. These layoffs were reportedly unrelated to the voucher policy.

Jane Manchun Wong, a former software engineer at Meta and a Forbes 30 under 30 alum, disclosed her job loss as part of these layoffs on October 18, 2024. She expressed her surprise and was in the process of understanding the situation.

Meta's Response and Strategy According to a statement shared with The Verge, Meta is aligning its resources with strategic goals, resulting in adjustments to team locations and roles. The company is also committed to assisting impacted employees by seeking alternative opportunities within the organization.

Inquiries have been made to Meta for further comments, but no official statement from the company has been released as of now.

For more information, refer to the original report by the BBC: Original Source.