Mark Zuckerberg's Meta fires employee earning Rs 3 crore for buying toothpaste, detergent from...; know what happened

Meta recently fired 24 employees from its Los Angeles office after discovering that they were misusing the company-provided meal credits for personal purchases. According to a report by Financial Times, the staff had been using their USD 25 meal credits to buy non-food items such as toothpaste, acne pads, and wine glasses.

Like other large tech companies, Meta provides a variety of perks to its employees, including access to meals. At its main offices, such as the Silicon Valley headquarters, employees enjoy free food on campus. However, for those working in smaller Meta offices, the company offers meal allowances through Uber Eats or Grubhub. These meal credits are intended for food deliveries to the office, not for personal use.

Employees in these smaller offices receive meal credits on a daily basis: USD 20 for breakfast, USD 25 for lunch, and $25 for dinner. The credits are issued in USD 25 increments and are strictly meant to cover meal costs while working in the office. However, it was found that some employees had been using these meal credits for personal household purchases or even to get food delivered to their homes, which was against company policy.

After conducting an internal investigation, Meta decided to fire only those employees who had consistently abused the meal credit system over a long period. Some staff members were found to be pooling their meal credits together for non-food-related purchases, while others used the credits for personal meals away from the office. Employees who occasionally misused the credits received a warning instead of being terminated.

One former employee who was fired shared their experience on Blind, an app where professionals can anonymously share their workplace experiences. The ex-Meta worker explained that they used the $25 meal credit for items like toothpaste when they didn’t need to eat at the office, such as on days when their spouse was cooking or they were dining out with friends. Although they admitted to the violation during a conversation with human resources, they were still let go. The employee expressed disbelief at being fired for what they considered a minor infraction, saying, "It was almost surreal that this was happening."

These firings are separate from other recent layoffs at Meta's affiliated companies like WhatsApp and Threads. The dismissals highlight Meta's efforts to crack down on policy violations, even those that may seem small, as the company seeks to maintain a strict adherence to its internal rules.

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