Meta recently terminated 24 of its Los Angeles-based employees for making unauthorised use of the free meal voucher scheme the firm subsidises. According to the Financial Times, the employees used the $25 meal credits purchased for them by their employers in order to buy individual toiletries and household items such as toothpaste, laundry detergent, and wine glasses.
Known to be one of the companies giving workers generous benefits, Meta provides quality food in larger offices and meal credits for smaller facilities. Employees get $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch, and $25 dollars for dinner. However, an investigation revealed that several workers abused these vouchers by using them for their non-food products and to have food delivered on days when they did not work.
Despite warnings against the practice, the practice persisted, with the company ending a cause of action when it terminated employment. One of the employees, whose annual salary was $400,000, said she used the dinner credits for household goods, explaining, “On days where I would not be eating at the office, like if my husband was cooking or if I was grabbing dinner with friends, I figured I ought not to waste the dinner credit.”
Meta spokesman David Arnold said in response to the layoffs, “Today, a few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy.” He said the company does its best to find new opportunities for affected employees.
