Meta's largest organizational restructuring in history is progressing hour by hour. This layoff action, involving nearly 8,000 positions, is driven by a comprehensive organizational overhaul centered on AI logic.
According to internal memos obtained by Business Insider and The Information, Meta's head of human resources, Janelle Gale, issued an explanation to employees on Monday, detailing the specific execution plan for this Wednesday's (May 20) layoffs: Notification will be sent at 4 AM local time in each region, affecting approximately 8,000 positions, representing about 10% of Meta's total workforce of nearly 78,000 employees.
Simultaneous with the layoffs is a large-scale redeployment of personnel—Meta will transfer over 7,000 employees to multiple new AI departments while significantly compressing management layers to advance organizational flattening. Concurrently, internal employee friction continues to intensify. Employees have initiated a petition signed by over a thousand people against the company's installation of mouse-tracking software, reflecting the strained labor-management relations under the shadow of layoffs.
Meta has explicitly indicated to employees that this Wednesday's 10% layoff may not be the endpoint, and further cuts cannot be ruled out. In April this year, the company forecasted its 2026 capital expenditures to reach $125-$145 billion, demonstrating an all-in bet on AI.
4 AM, Three Waves of Notifications Cover the Globe
In the memo, Gale specified the execution timeline for this Wednesday down to the hour: Notifications will be sent at 4 AM local time in each region, delivered in three waves across different time zones, covering Meta's global operations.
This means employees from Asia-Pacific to Europe to the Americas will receive notifications in their respective late-night or pre-dawn hours. One employee told Business Insider that everyone is currently in a state of "hanging in the air," waiting to confirm the fate of their positions.
7,000 Employees Reassigned to AI, Restructuring Beyond Layoffs
This personnel change is not merely a cost-cutting measure but is accompanied by a large-scale strategic redeployment.
According to The Information, Gale stated in the memo that productivity gains enabled by AI empowerment allow the company to transfer over 7,000 employees to several brand-new departments, including the Applied AI Engineering (AAI) department, Agent Transformation Accelerator, Central Analytics, and a newly formed enterprise solutions team.
The Information previously reported that Meta has begun pulling top engineers from across the company to bolster the AAI department to enhance its competitiveness in the AI model race. In the memo, Gale noted that leadership across company departments has incorporated "AI-native design principles" into the new organizational structure, and related adjustment plans will be announced simultaneously with the layoffs.
Significant Reduction in Management Layers, Advancing Organizational Flattening
In the memo, Gale clearly stated that management positions will be cut company-wide, with the goal of creating a flatter hierarchy.
"We have now reached a point where many teams can operate within a flatter structure, acting faster and taking more ownership in the form of smaller pods/cohorts," she wrote.
Some teams within Meta's Reality Labs had already begun reorganizing into small pod structures earlier, a move previously reported by Business Insider.
Thousand-Signature Petition Protests Mouse Tracking, Internal Friction Surfaces
Under the cloud of layoffs, another wave of collective employee backlash is brewing. Employees have initiated a petition against the company's installation of mouse-tracking software, signed by over a thousand people, reflecting strong employee resistance to management's increased monitoring measures.
Several current employees told Business Insider that overall company morale is noticeably under pressure.
Further Layoffs Not Ruled Out, AI Investments Continue to Ramp Up
This Wednesday's layoffs are not the final chapter. Business Insider previously reported that Meta management has informed employees that further personnel reductions cannot be ruled out after this 10% round of layoffs.
While undergoing large-scale downsizing, Meta's capital investment in the AI field continues to accelerate. In April this year, the company forecasted its 2026 capital expenditures to be between $125 billion and $145 billion, highlighting its massive bet on AI infrastructure—this is also the most direct footnote for this restructuring centered on AI logic.
