Meta employee says high-performing colleague was fired despite long hours, strong track record: ‘Feel bad for surviving’

A viral post shared by a Meta employee has sparked fresh conversations online about burnout, layoffs and the growing uncertainty inside the tech industry. The post, shared anonymously on workplace forum Blind, described how a reportedly high-performing Meta employee was laid off despite months of intense work, sleepless nights and a strong track record at the company. As Meta moves ahead with another major round of job cuts tied to its artificial intelligence restructuring plans, the emotional account has resonated with many tech workers who say layoffs are increasingly affecting employees regardless of performance. Viral Post Describes ‘Survivor’s Guilt’ The discussion gained traction after a Meta employee opened up about feeling guilty for surviving the layoffs while a teammate known for hard work and dedication was reportedly asked to leave. The employee wrote “Please don't think people laid off from Meta are bad performers, I'm an average performing scrub and I feel so bad for surviving when my teammate got laid off,” The post quickly spread across social media and online forums, with many users saying the message reflected the emotional toll layoffs often take on employees who remain inside organisations after restructuring. ‘She Was Sleeping Less Than 4 Hours’ According to the viral post, the laid-off employee had spent months handling a major project with strict deadlines and intense pressure. The co-worker described her as dependable, humble and extremely hardworking. The employee wrote “My teammate is super humble and reliable. She was very responsible and recently worked on a project that had a really tight deadline. She gave it her all and was sleeping less than 4 hours almost 80% of the time throughout several months.” The post further alleged that the employee frequently fell ill because of exhaustion and stress but continued working through the pressure. The message added “I think she fell sick many times due to overwork and now she suddenly got cut I seriously don't know why they chose her out of all people when she had a great track record and worked on important projects and IC4 but had no red or yellow zone. Very well-mannered and behaved too. I'm so sad I can't believe they did this right after she slogged her ass off. I remember the past few months I saw her publishing commits at 3am, then at 6am. Like, when did you even sleep wtf. Please be kind to everyone and don’t generalise the people who got cut.” The emotional account triggered widespread reactions online, with many workers saying the story felt relatable in today’s corporate environment. Internet Reacts To Meta Layoff Story Several users argued that layoffs in the tech industry are increasingly linked to restructuring, business priorities and cost-cutting rather than individual employee performance. One user wrote “Good news is she learned a lession not to give a company a second of your health and free time.” Another commented “These cuts are random. We lost some best people too. Don’t be too hard on yourself.” One user summed up the sentiment bluntly “The lesson is don't overwork yourself,” Another warned about the uncertainty surrounding layoffs in large companies. “You could be next one on chopping block now that she’s gone. focus on surviving,” the fourth commented. A fifth user wrote “It could have been reasons unrelated to performance. Layoffs suck and they don't target low performers most of the time. A lot of people aren't low performers." Meta’s AI Restructuring Push The viral post surfaced as Meta continues a broader restructuring effort tied to artificial intelligence initiatives. Reports suggest the company is laying off nearly 10% of its global workforce as it reallocates resources toward AI-focused operations. Employees in Singapore were reportedly among the first to receive termination notices, with some informed as early as 4 am local time. Workers across Europe and the United States were also expected to receive updates in phases. According to Reuters, Meta plans to move around 7,000 employees into AI-related projects while simultaneously reducing management layers across teams.