'Gather Personal Items, Head Home': Meta Email To 8,000 Laid-Off Employees

Meta began notifying roughly 8,000 employees on Wednesday that their jobs were being cut, sending termination emails to affected staff at 4 a.m. local time.

Business Insider obtained the full text of the email — a corporate, step-by-step message that told workers their roles were gone, stripped their system access, and walked them through severance, visas, and what to do next.

The email, signed "Meta Leadership," opened by framing the cuts as a business necessity. "We have decided to reduce headcount as part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we're making," it read. "Unfortunately, your role has been eliminated as part of today's reorganization."

The layoffs affect approximately 10 per cent of Meta's 78,000-strong workforce. The company also plans to move more than 7,000 employees into new AI-focused roles as it aggressively ramps up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure — projected at between $125 billion and $145 billion in capital expenditure this year.

Access Cut Immediately

The email made clear there would be no transition period at the desk. "Your badge has been deactivated and your access to internal Meta systems will be removed this morning," it told affected employees. "If you are already in the office, we ask that you please gather any personal items at your desk and head home."

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Laid-off workers were placed in a "non-working notice period," during which they remain on payroll but are not required to work. "You do not need to do any additional work for Meta," the email said.

What Employees Will Receive

The severance terms were spelled out plainly. Affected US employees will receive 16 weeks of base pay, plus two additional weeks for every year of service completed.

Healthcare coverage under COBRA will be paid for employees and their families for 18 months. The email also offered three months of external job search assistance through outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison.

For employees on work visas sponsored by Meta, the email acknowledged the added difficulty. "We know this is especially difficult for those whose visa and work authorization is sponsored by Meta," it said, directing them to an Alumni Portal for immigration guidance.

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A Closing Note

The email ended with a brief acknowledgment of the human cost. "We want to say again that we're grateful for your contributions. Your impact at Meta has been an important part of our story," it said — a closing that drew sharp reactions on social media, where several laid-off employees described opening the email to find their badges already deactivated.

Meta declined to comment, Business Insider reported. 

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