Meta Employees Face Challenges as Return-to-Office Policy Takes Effect
September 5 marked the day when all approximately 65,000 employees of Meta (formerly Facebook) were required to be in the office for at least three days a week. Failure to comply with this policy could result in termination. While this move was initiated due to difficulties in onboarding new hires remotely, employees are now dealing with a host of issues, including a lack of space, privacy, and productivity challenges.
Numerous employees have expressed their frustrations regarding the lack of conference rooms available for team meetings. This was already a problem in 2019, before the pandemic necessitated remote work. With the influx of employees returning to the office, getting a conference room, let alone one large enough for an entire team, has become a significant challenge. In one instance, a team resorted to sitting on the floor during a meeting due to the lack of chairs and table space.
Meta, however, claims to have worked toward addressing this issue by creating more collaborative spaces and workstations that accommodate video calls and focused work. The company emphasized its commitment to providing the best experience possible for its employees as they transition back to the office.
Another obstacle faced by employees is the implementation of hot desks. These unassigned desks, which need to be booked in advance, have created difficulties for those who were predominantly working from home before the return-to-office (RTO) policy. Employees have reported struggling to secure a desk for a significant amount of time, resulting in the need to switch between hot desks on different floors throughout the workday. Meta insists that such issues can be resolved if desks are booked properly through their online reservation system.
Despite these challenges, employees have not chosen to resign en masse. Many are determined to maintain their employment, especially considering the rigorous performance reviews that have taken place recently. The company’s performance evaluation system categorizes employees into different tiers, and it is reported that team leaders must designate a certain percentage of their team as lower performers, which creates added pressure and uncertainty among employees.
To mitigate some of these challenges, Meta has allowed employees who have been with the company for 18 months or more to apply to become permanent remote workers. However, the approval process for these applications appears to be slow, with hundreds, if not thousands, of applications yet to be reviewed. According to Meta’s head of HR, remote work applications received since the RTO policy was announced will not be reviewed until the end of October.
Some employees who primarily work with remote teams question the necessity of being physically present in the office, especially when their work is done primarily over video calls. This situation has led to many employees coming into the office only to join virtual meetings, further raising questions about the effectiveness and purpose of the return-to-office policy.
The challenges faced by Meta employees highlight the complexities and adjustments associated with the transition back to in-person work. As the company continues to navigate this process, it remains to be seen how it will address the concerns and needs of its workforce to ensure productive and satisfactory working conditions.