UK Meta staff ‘concerned’ over scrapping of factcheckers and DEI programmes
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Union says Facebook-owner’s policy changes will affect ‘ability to retain talent and thrive as an inclusive business’. UK staff at Facebook owner Meta feel “concerned” and “let down” about the company’s decision to scrap factcheckers and diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, the trade union representing UK tech workers has warned the firm.
The Prospect union, which represents a growing number of UK Meta employees, has written to Meta to express staff concern about the impact of the controversial decisions by chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg. “Staff of many years’ service at Meta have highlighted how incredibly let down they feel by their employer’s change of tone,” wrote Prospect assistant secretary Andrew Sturtevant to Meta.
He added: “Our members are concerned over Meta’s future direction and the potential impact of policy changes on employees and on the company’s reputation.”. In a letter addressed to Lizzie Runham, Meta’s HR director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Sturtevant warned the company it may struggle to hire and keep staff in light of recent announcements.
It comes as Meta, which also owns WhatsApp and Instagram, is planning to cut about 5% of its global workforce, with its poorest-performing employees most likely to leave. The move could affect about 3,600 employees globally amid a shake-up to Meta’s performance management system, as it plans to “move out low-performers faster”.
