The laid-off workers are worried that if they do not quickly find a new job, they would have to leave the US. Several people who were abroad when the layoffs took place are unsure if they can return to their homes in the US.
More than 11,000 people, or 13% of Meta’s workforce, were let go on Wednesday. In its 18-year history, this was the first time the firm has let a sizable number of workers go.
Many of the employees hired by US IT companies like Meta each year come from China and India and number thousands. However, if a worker with a certain visa loses their job, they are given 60 days by US law to find another job or leave the country.
Meta Company’s Massive Layoff
Ex-Meta employees spoke about how they learned they were dismissed on Wednesday on social media after CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the business was laying off over 11,000 people. Following Zuckerberg’s announcement that the company would no longer be hiring, Meta fired a large portion of its recruitment staff.
Brianna Sgro, a former recruiter for Meta, posted on LinkedIn, “I’m sad, hurt, unsure, disappointed, and now unemployed,” adding that she was full of hope when she started working there a year ago.
She said that her ambition of working for Google or Facebook would no longer be possible. Even though all of these experiences are coming to an end today, she said, “I am very grateful to have had them.”
Despite being let go, several employees reportedly expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to work for a business like Meta.
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Meta’s Immigration Assistance
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Mark Zuckerberg said in an email to employees informing them of the layoffs that he had made the decision to let go of more than 11,000 staff members, which would result in a 13% team size reduction.
He said they were also reducing wasteful expenditure and extended their hiring freeze till the end of Q1 in order to make the company leaner and more productive.
There is “no ideal way to lay people off,” according to Zuckerberg, but the business intends to tell individuals affected as quickly as possible and then do everything it can to help them during this.
One of the initiatives being used by the corporation in the US is “immigration assistance.” A non-immigrant visa is called the H-1B visa American businesses employ foreign nationals in specialized occupations that need technical or theoretical knowledge.
Those with H-1B visas are permitted to work and reside in the United States for a maximum of three years, with a potential extension of another three years.
Zuckerberg assured terminated employees on visas that the corporation has devoted immigration consultants available to assist them in their travels. Former workers said they were not aware of these “immigration specialists,” though.