A former Meta employee has shared a bizarre behind-the-scenes detail about the company's layoffs, sparking widespread online discussion. Adel Wu, who worked at Meta until recently, posted on X about the tense atmosphere inside the office the night before the first major layoff round. According to her, the scene felt 'almost like doomsday,' with employees stuffing their bags with free office snacks, chargers, and drinks before the cuts officially began.
Viral Post Amid Fresh Layoff Reports
Wu's post has gone viral as new reports suggest Meta could announce another major round of job cuts on May 20, with nearly 8,000 positions at risk. She recalled that during her last year at Meta, there were four to five layoffs, but the upcoming one is 'huuuge.' Many of her friends still at the company are experiencing extreme anxiety, either hoping to be laid off or fearing for their jobs.
Employee Reactions and Online Responses
The detail about employees packing snacks and chargers resonated deeply online. One user commented, 'I remember waking up at 3 am just staring at my inbox waiting for the email of doom.' Another wrote, 'The first layoffs completely killed morale. After that, everyone was either anxious or secretly hoping they'd get severance.' A third user claimed that during an earlier round, an employee was laid off while on a business trip.
Meta's Layoff History
Meta's layoffs have been a major topic in the tech industry since 2022, when the company cut around 11,000 jobs for the first time in its history. At that time, Meta was heavily investing in its metaverse plans while facing slowing growth and rising costs. Subsequent rounds of layoffs followed as the tech industry shifted focus toward artificial intelligence and automation.
The Emotional Toll
The viral conversation highlights the emotional exhaustion and uncertainty prevalent in the tech industry. The image of employees quietly packing snacks and chargers before possible job cuts captures a strange, sad, and oddly human moment. Many former employees say the layoffs changed how they view workplace stability. As one user summed it up: 'The free snacks stopped feeling fun after the layoffs started.'
