Meta Employee Says She Was Laid Off "2 Weeks From Going On Maternity Leave", Sparks Debate

Meta's recent round of job cuts affected roughly 8,000 employees globally. It apparently included a woman in the United States who is 34 weeks pregnant, as she has claimed that she was laid off just a few days before going on maternity leave. In a Reddit post, the woman wrote, "Woohoo 2 weeks from going on maternity leave, got laid off by Meta today." The post has ignited an online debate about corporate accountability and worker protections.

"I knew layoffs were a thing but for some naive reason I thought being a person of color, a woman, and being 34 weeks pregnant was going to offer me a little bit of protection at such a scrutinized tech company in the state of California," she wrote.

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The woman revealed that her official termination date is set for July 22, and her maternity leave was originally scheduled to begin on June 1. She asked the online community to give suggestions on how to collect full bi-weekly paychecks and maternity benefits until her full termination date.

"Without telling me to hire a lawyer does anyone know if I can collect full bi-weekly paychecks until my full termination date of July 22 AND collect maternity benefits starting June 1? Or is there a trick to maximizing my maternity benefits without having to forfeit anything?" she wrote.

"Would love to hear how others have navigated layoffs and mat/pat leave simultaneously!" she added. 

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Woohoo 2 weeks from going on maternity leave, got laid off by Meta today
by u/blue_sand379 in Layoffs

Social media reaction

The post received massive traction with thousands of views and over 600 upvotes. Users took to the comment section to share their opinions and also give advice. "I would just take the package. All these jobs are 'At Will' and can drop you whenever they feel like it without reason and legally I am not sure it's even worth pursuing because you need hard evidence," one user wrote in the comment section.

"When I got laid off a few years ago NY state denied my unemployment because I got severance for 2 months in one lumpsum. It makes no sense and it's disgusting to be denied that just because you got a package," one user shared their experience.

"Unfortunately companies are becoming unhinged and cost cutting means letting go of people they seem to likely not work due to maternity and other baggage that comes with having a newborn . It's a harsh reality there is no cushion for new parents it's like no one wants to invest in the society's future," a third user wrote.