Wednesday morning was full of uncertainty for thousands of Meta employees. People across North America were told to work from home as layoff emails started going out from around 4 am PT. By the end of the day, around 8,000 employees, nearly 10% of Meta’s global workforce, had lost their jobs. The company is also shutting down about 6,000 open roles as it pushes harder into artificial intelligence.
But even when thousands were told to leave, many others were left waiting. Some kept refreshing their inboxes, unsure if they still had a job. And for many who survived, the feeling was not simple relief.
‘I feel bad for surviving’
Before the official cuts even began, anxiety had already taken over internal conversations and anonymous forums like Blind, where employees were openly sharing their fears.
For those who were not laid off, the emotional impact is still heavy. One post on Blind carried a very personal note of guilt and shock from an employee who said they feel bad for surviving the layoffs while a teammate was let go.
The user wrote that they are an average performer and never expected to still be in the company when someone they worked closely with was cut. “I feel bad for surviving. Please don’t think people laid off from Meta are bad performers, I’m an average performing scrub and I feel so bad for surviving when my teammate got laid off.”
The employee went on to describe their teammate, saying she was “super humble and reliable” and consistently responsible, even while working under extreme pressure on a tight deadline project. They added that she was often working with very little sleep for months and still kept delivering.
“She gave it her all and was sleeping less than 4 hours, almost 80% of the time throughout several months. I think she fell sick many times due to overwork, and now she has suddenly got cut.”
The post also questioned the decision-making behind the layoff, with the user saying they were shocked that someone with a strong track record and good performance ratings was impacted, especially someone they felt was consistently dependable and well-behaved at work. “I seriously don’t know why they chose her out of all people when she had a great track record… no red or yellow zone. Very well mannered and behaved too.”
The employee ended their note recalling how often they saw their teammate working late into the night and early morning hours. “I’m so sad I can’t believe they did this right after she slogged her ass off. I remember the past few months I saw her publishing commits at 3 am, then at 6 am. Like, when did you even sleep? wtf”
‘I could feel the axe coming’
In another post, a Meta employee on an H-1B visa described a growing sense of anxiety ahead of the layoffs, saying they joined the company just a year ago and already feel they may be affected. “I’m posting here because I could genuinely use some advice from people who’ve been through this,” the employee wrote. “I joined Meta a year back on H-1B, and even before the official results are out, my gut feeling is that I’m likely getting laid off on Wednesday.”
The employee, working in Data Engineering with over five years of experience, wrote that they have already started applying externally but are struggling to find responses in a “very rough market.”
The employee also raised multiple concerns that many H-1B workers face during layoffs, including:
- How the 60-day grace period is calculated after termination
- Whether it starts from the official layoff date or last payroll date
- Backup visa options to stay in the US
- Which companies are still hiring and willing to sponsor transfers
“No callbacks, all rejections, and not many openings compared to what I expected,” they wrote. They also pointed out how hard it was to find companies willing to take over H-1B sponsorship.
Disclaimer: This article is based on anonymous posts shared on the workplace forum Blind. Financial Express has not independently verified the claims or identities of the individuals mentioned. The views expressed are those of the anonymous users and do not reflect the official position of Meta or its employees.