Meta braces for massive layoffs as 8,000 employees face potential job cuts, joining over 100,000 tech workers laid off since January. The company's expected to notify staff at 7 a.m. Wednesday, with employees already deactivating internal profiles and creating "layoff-checker spreadsheets" to determine their fate. What was once a symbol of prestige has become a source of anxiety as workers train AI systems that may soon replace them.

The working environment has deteriorated significantly with key-stroke logging monitoring employee activity and management showing little compassion about impending job losses. A longtime employee describes unprecedented stress at the job, torn between feeling privileged to work at Meta and fearing financial instability if laid off. The brazen AI-ification of work—where workers train their own replacements—creates a uniquely hopeless atmosphere compared to previous tech downturns.

Leadership's silence on the layoffs has created a toxic atmosphere where employees openly share memes about job loss while simultaneously trying to maintain productivity. The emotional toll extends beyond professional concerns to life decisions about moving or having children. Despite the anxiety, some employees report feeling potential relief at being forced to make a change, tempered by the harsh economic reality of the current job market.