Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is reportedly slashing some of the lavish perks that its employees enjoyed. Seven company employees, speaking to The New York Times on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that Meta was eliminating free laundry service for its employees and pushing dinner back to 6.30 pm from the previous 6 pm.
The new dinner timing is problematic because the last company shuttle leaves office at 6 pm. Along with its new timing for free dinner, Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta also announced that workers will no longer be allowed to bring reusable containers to pack food for friends and family.
These are among the several small reductions that employees will have to contend with as they prepare to return to office later this month. At Meta, many employees will return to working from office on March 28 for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted life as we knew it two years ago. Other employees will continue to work from home and follow a hybrid model, coming into office less often.
Silicon Valley companies typically offer luxurious benefits to their employees, but these changes in Meta's policy could be a sign of changing times. For Meta employees, the downgrade in their on-site perks are a cause for concern.
One verified employee, posting on the Blind app, rued the changes in Meta's policy. "Dinner pushed out to 6.30 pm. NO Togo boxes, NO reusable containers one can bring even for lunch and other stuff," the employee wrote. "Laundry benefit GONE... Childcare reimbursements were already cut for 2022," they added.
The employee was also concerned about the crash in Meta's stock price - the company has had a difficult few months in which it saw its market capitalisation drop by half.
Meta confirmed the changes to its "on campus amenities". "As we return to the office, we've adjusted on-site services and amenities to better reflect the needs of our hybrid workforce," Tracy Clayton, spokesperson for Meta, told CNET. "We believe people and teams will be increasingly distributed in the future, and we're committed to building an experience that helps everyone be successful."
