'Wineglasses and detergent': Meta fires employees over misuse of meal vouchers - report

Meta employees working in the company's smaller premises receive meal vouchers amounting to $20 for breakfast and 25$ for lunch and dinner.

 Meta HQ at One Hacker Way in Menlo Park, CA: an ideal venue for the Bay Area Jewish community  to demand that Mark Zuckerberg prioritizes safety of Jewish students over profits. (photo credit: COURTESY OF GENESIS PRIZE)
Meta HQ at One Hacker Way in Menlo Park, CA: an ideal venue for the Bay Area Jewish community to demand that Mark Zuckerberg prioritizes safety of Jewish students over profits.
(photo credit: COURTESY OF GENESIS PRIZE)

Dozens of Meta employees working in the company's Los Angeles office have been discharged after they used their meal stipends for personal purchases, the Financial Times reported last week. 

According to the report, the employees utilized their vouchers for various items such as wine glasses and detergent or for food deliveries to their homes. 

The Financial Times noted that Meta employees working in the company's smaller premises receive meal vouchers amounting to $20 for breakfast and 25$ for lunch and dinner. These are intended for use during work hours at the company offices. 

The report noted, citing a source acquainted with the subject, that those who saw their job discontinued misused their meal credit over a lengthy period of time, with some compiling their money jointly.

According to the source, employees who misused the credits only on an occasional basis remonstrated but remained in their positions. 

Woman holds smartphone with Meta logo in front of a displayed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO)
Woman holds smartphone with Meta logo in front of a displayed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO)

'Almost surreal'

“On days where I would not be eating at the office, like if my husband was cooking or if I was grabbing dinner with friends, I figured I ought not to waste the dinner credit," an ex-Meta employee who earned approximately $400,000, wrote on the Blind app, according to the report. 

“It was almost surreal that this was happening,” the individual reportedly added.