Meta Company Sacks Employees For Buying Toothpaste and Wine Glasses Instead Of Food

More Than 30 Meta Employees Sacked Amid Controversy Over Misuse of Meal Vouchers

Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has reportedly sacked a number of staff members for violating its meal voucher policy. Employees were allegedly using the company’s meal credits, intended for food purchases, to buy non-food items like toothpaste and wine glasses.

Abuse of Vouchers and Unclear Warning

According to reports on the anonymous workplace forum Blind and a story first reported by the Financial Times, more than 30 employees were let go after misusing meal vouchers. Workers at Meta are allocated $25 for lunch, $20 for breakfast, and another $25 for dinner, to be used for food orders via Grubhub, a popular U.S. delivery service.

In some cases, staff shared vouchers with others or went over budget. Despite claims that warnings were issued to stop these activities, some employees stated they were still fired months later, even after ceasing the misuse.

Layoffs at Meta Extend Beyond Voucher Scandal

In addition to the voucher policy breaches, Meta has also reportedly cut jobs across several departments, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Reality Labs, the company’s virtual reality division responsible for the Oculus headset. These layoffs are not linked to the voucher issues but reflect broader organizational restructuring.

Jane Manchun Wong, a software engineer at Meta and a Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree, was among those affected by the wider layoffs. Announcing her departure on X (formerly Twitter), Wong stated,

“I’m still trying to process this, but I’m informed that my role at Meta has been impacted.”

Meta has yet to comment on the voucher-related firings but previously confirmed to The Verge that the company is aligning resources to its long-term goals, which involves some job cuts and role changes across different locations.