Brutal Wait for Ax to Come Down at Meta: Not Atypical

 We thought "it" - the reduction-in-force - was going to get started that Monday. That would be a relief.

After all the rumors of who was "on the list" and who was "saving" whom the reality of where the ax fell would end one type of suffering. During the process I developed TMJ and had to be fitted with a super mouth guard. The jobs targeted were good ones. 

Yes, passing through our minds was: Just quit. You show them. But, come on, severance and some continuation of healthcare insurance most of us couldn't afford to pass up.

Monday came and Monday went. There had been some kind of glitch. Somehow, even though the giant food corporation had on-site almost 30 lawyers, a WARN document hadn't been processed. That is the written whatever filed 60 days before the event by businesses intending to lay off 50 or more employees or 33% of them. 

So, what Meta employees are enduring before the massive RIF on May 20th isn't atypical. 

My position in middle management had been a plum. " It provided money and power. "At my age" - early 40s - I anticipated not landing a comparable one. 

My support system off-the-job listened compassionately to my plan to apply severance to starting up a communications boutique. A few advised that I put a deadline on the experiment: two years.

Others hammered that I would still be marketable. So, yes, apply now for other jobs out there. That I did. But with the passion of Scarlett O'Hara about never being hungry again, I told myself that I would never be laid off again. And I had soured on doing corporate. Since I have remained self-employed for decades, you bet, I have never been laid off again.

For me, the ax fell for me on a Tuesday. While the bloodbath took place on Monday for colleagues, I had to oversee a board presentation that day. 

Back them the process was put together to preserve human dignity. That was 1987. The Vice President called me to their office for coffee. I signed a letter not to go to the media, in exchange for almost a year in full pay and coverage of health insurance. 

Should I have felt euphoric? You don't. I only experienced shame. Unless the whole corporation is being laid off, if you are included in that RIF you realize you have been personally selected to be dumped. 

I cried in my office. Streetwise friends said to leave immediately. I could have hung on for three more paid weeks, according to the WARN whatever. The friendly guidance was about the hit my confidence would take by hanging around.

My advice to Meta workers is not to quit. In this job market you'll need what they're handing out. Leverage any internal power for a higher-up to "save" you. That happens all the time. The process is fluid. 

If you have a top job, consult an employment lawyer. Most provide complimentary consultations. 

You bet, as Blind would hammer, go the recruiter route as well as networks for another job or gig. Do that before the ax falls. 

It's better to grab that opportunity than hope for cashing in on both severance and a new job. That's what worked out for junior lawyers bound to be cut during the Great Recession. As a coach, I explained the advantage of moving on to another job while there still wasn't a glut of them on the market. Back then Brad Karp at Paul, Weiss was among the few who kept associates on the payroll. Latham laid off more than 400 lawyers and staff one dark day.

To get through until May 20th, it is counterproductive to play in the grapevine box. That will only upset you. Actually, chatter about your anxiety or rants about lack of fairness could result in your being placed on the list of terminated. Easy to be classified as an "agitator." Rats multiply during hard times.

Emotionally, don't let anyone put a golden spin on the RIF. For what we go through, it's never a "blessing." No matter how we thrived after that. If lessons are to be learned, learn them quickly and then focus on the Next. 

My coaching clients are finding nexts. Usually that involves a haircut on compensation but less income is better than no income. 

Resets for another career? Beware. Is the training legit? Research how all isn't rosy in HVCA. Some even speculate about a glut. Nursing school? Hard to get into. Can you be that selfless? AI isn't easy to enter and some roles entail a PhD. Meanwhile, any career shift will inflict loss of identity. A start-up? As I was advised, slap on a deadline.

My heart goes out to those in agony at Meta. The suffering at this time in capitalism is over-the-top. 

Earning a Good Living in 2026 Involves Mental Combat. The enemy is usually your own thinking.

Complimentary consultation. No Pressure. Solid Guidance. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.