Mark Zuckerberg's tech behemoth Meta is facing criticism after firing 3,600 workers—or 5% of its workforce—in the US, Europe, and Asia. Several employees claim they were punished for taking leaves, including, shockingly, maternity leaves, despite the company's claims that these cuts target underperforming employees.

Elana Reman Safner, a Meta Product Counsel who was let go during these layoffs, made the accusations public on LinkedIn. She explained in the post that a large number of fired employees had recently taken time off and were probably "targeted."

The Layoffs and Backlash

In an internal memo, Meta called the layoffs “performance-based.” However, affected workers like Safner refuted it and claimed them to be specifically targeted, adding that many terminated colleagues shared similar stories of good performance and recent leaves.

Employees Cry Foul

Safner accused Meta of making her “collateral damage” to Zuckerberg’s push for “masculine energy”, a remark he made in a recent podcast. Meanwhile, others who were laid off echoed her claims, noting the timing of layoffs after medical or parental leaves.

“It’s hard to believe I didn’t do enough,” Safner wrote, citing prorated expectations during her leave.

Leadership Controversy and DEI Cuts

Zuckerberg’s “masculine energy” comment has drawn criticism amid the layoffs. The cuts follow Meta’s decision to scrap its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program after Donald Trump’s election, a move critics link to a corporate shift toward “efficiency” over social initiatives.