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With Meta Layoffs Employee Morale Continues to Decline

Reports from current and former employees suggest morale inside the company has deteriorated considerably. The Meta layoffs are definitely part of the problem.

Several workers told WIRED that dissatisfaction has spread throughout the company, with some employees even hoping to be included in layoffs because of the generous severance packages, which reportedly include 16 weeks of pay and up to 18 months of health-care coverage.

Employee frustration extends beyond job reductions.

Meta previously reduced the stock component of annual raises by 5%, following an earlier 10% reduction. As a result, reported median total compensation has declined even as Zuckerberg aggressively recruits elite AI researchers with compensation packages reportedly reaching into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Workplace Monitoring Raises Privacy Concerns

Another source of employee dissatisfaction involves Meta's expanding use of workplace monitoring software.

Earlier this year, the company began deploying the Model Capability Initiative on work laptops used by U.S.-based employees. According to reports, the software records keystrokes, mouse movements, clicks and periodic screenshots from workplace applications such as Gmail and Slack.

Meta says the data will help train AI agents capable of performing human workflows.

Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth has reportedly confirmed that employees cannot opt out of the monitoring program in the United States, although European employees are exempt because of privacy protections under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The program has sparked internal protests, with workers distributing flyers describing Meta as an "Employee Data Extraction Factory" while encouraging colleagues to sign an online petition opposing the initiative.

Along with Meta Layoffs Litigation Intensifies

Careless People Author Sues Meta, Claiming Company Tried to Silence Her Bestselling Memoir - USA Herald 

Meta is simultaneously confronting a high-profile legal dispute involving former executive Sarah Wynn-Williams, author of the bestselling memoir Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism.

Wynn-Williams, who served as Facebook's director of global public policy between 2011 and 2017, filed a lawsuit accusing Meta of unlawfully attempting to silence her through a confidential arbitration process. She argues that the severance agreement she signed after leaving the company is unenforceable because it was executed under financial duress.

The memoir contains numerous allegations involving Meta's corporate culture, leadership, workplace practices and the company's past efforts to expand into China. Meta has consistently denied the book's claims, describing them as false, misleading and defamatory.

Meta previously secured an emergency arbitration order prohibiting Wynn-Williams from promoting the book or making additional disparaging public comments about the company. According to her lawsuit, Meta has sought damages of $50,000 for each alleged violation of the agreement and has monitored her public appearances to ensure compliance with the gag order.

The legal battle has drawn criticism from free-speech advocates and whistleblower supporters, who argue the dispute raises broader questions about the enforceability of non-disparagement agreements and the balance between protecting confidential corporate information and allowing former employees to speak publicly about alleged misconduct. The case remains pending in federal court.