Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is set to proceed with its anticipated company-wide layoffs next week while expediting the hiring of machine learning engineers, according to internal memos reviewed by Reuters on Friday.
According to a memo from Meta’s Head of People, Janelle Gale, employees affected by the job cuts will begin receiving notifications at 5 a.m. local time on Monday in most countries, including the United States.
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However, due to local labor regulations, employees in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands will be exempt from the layoffs. Meanwhile, staff in over a dozen other countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa will receive their notifications between February 11 and February 18.
A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the internal communications.
Last month, Meta confirmed its plans to reduce approximately 5% of its workforce by cutting the “lowest performers,” with some positions expected to be refilled. In the Friday memo, Gale referred to the job cuts as “performance terminations,” a move initially reported by The Information.
Unlike previous large-scale layoffs, Meta intends to keep its offices open on Monday and will not provide additional updates regarding the decision-making process, Gale noted.
In a separate memo on Friday, Peng Fan, Meta’s VP of Engineering for Monetization, urged employees to support an accelerated hiring process for machine learning engineers and other key engineering roles. This recruitment drive will take place between February 11 and March 13 to align with Meta’s strategic priorities for 2025.
“Thank you for your continued support in helping us achieve our accelerated hiring goals and better align with our company’s priorities for 2025,” Fan wrote.
