Meta Staffers Canned for Abusing Meal Perks

Pro tip: If you work for Meta and have extra meal credits lying around, don't use them to pick up groceries, cosmetics, or other household goods. About two dozen of the company's employees who worked in Los Angeles have found that out the hard way, after being fired last week for abusing vouchers meant for in-office meals.

• The perk: The Financial Times notes that, similar to other large tech firms, Meta offers free food to its staff at its Silicon Valley headquarters. However, employees who work at smaller satellite offices often get a per diem for Uber Eats or Grubhub so they can grab a bite while working—$20 for breakfast, and $25 each for lunch and dinner. The Telegraph notes this perk exists to encourage employees to come in more to the office instead of working from home, and to work longer hours.

• The firings: A source tells the Financial Times that the recent terminations came after it was discovered some of Meta's workers had abused the system over the long term, either to have food sent home, or to purchase completely different (nonfood) items, including everything from laundry detergent and acne pads to wineglasses. Workers who had abused the system more sporadically received a warning.
• Staffer testimonial: "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," a commenter, who identified as a now-ex employee who made $400,000 per year, wrote on the anonymous messaging platform Blind. They called the firing "almost surreal."
• Meta: The company hasn't commented on those pink slips specifically, but it's in the midst of wider layoffs that it says is part of a restructuring. It noted in a Wednesday statement: "Today, a few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy. ... When a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other opportunities for impacted employees."
• Not a total anomaly: The Guardian notes that other big tech companies are also cracking down on abuse of perks and other policies. That includes Google, which last year started slashing its fitness classes, cutting down on the number of times that staffers could replace their laptops, and keeping a closer tab on office supplies like tape and staplers.

(More Meta stories.)