latest layoffs exist Yuan and Ernst & Young (Ernst & Young) attracted widespread attention not because of mass layoffs or corporate restructuring, but because of the bizarre reasons for employees being fired. Both companies – giants in their respective industries – fired American workers for violations that seemed trivial to outsiders.
From abusing Meta meal vouchers to taking multiple EY online courses, these cases reveal how corporate ethics The possible conflict with the employee’s behavior has led many to question whether the punishment is consistent with the crime.
Meta’s Voucher Abuse: $25 Meal Costs Cost at Work
Meta, the tech giant behind platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, recently laid off about 20 employees in its Los Angeles office. What’s the reason? Abuse of $25 dinner coupon.
Meta offers its employees meal credits of $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch, and $25 for dinner through grub hub and UberEats. The points are designed to help employees order meals during long workdays. However, it seems some employees are taking a casual approach to the benefit.
Rather than using dinner points to purchase meals and have them delivered to the office, some Meta employees use the funds to purchase non-food items like toothpaste and wine glasses, or have meals delivered to their homes. Others receive credit jointly with colleagues. According to media reports, those who abused the coupons were shown the door, with few warnings.
One employee who made up to $400,000 a year reportedly expressed disbelief that he was fired for a trivial violation. Writing anonymously, they said it felt “surreal” to be fired for abusing meal money.
Yuan is already there cost cutting The incident comes amid a new wave of layoffs that has also affected teams at Instagram, WhatsApp and Reality Labs. While the exact number of layoffs is unclear, the impact of these layoffs has been felt throughout the company.
Ernst & Young Cheating Scandal: Too many courses, too much trouble
Around the same time, British multinational professional services firm Ernst & Young fired some of its U.S. employees for “cheating.” what is the problem? Participate in more than one online course at the same time during the company’s “EY Ignite Learning Week” in May. An internal EY investigation found that some employees took multiple courses during study weeks, violating the company’s strict U.S. study policy and global code of conduct.
The company views these terminations as necessary to preserve its values. “At EY, our core values of integrity and ethics are at the forefront of everything we do. If individuals are found to have breached our Code of Conduct and Study in America policies, we will take appropriate disciplinary action,” a spokesperson said.
Fired employees, however, see things differently. Many claimed they were unaware they were violating company rules, and one person said EY’s marketing emails for the event encouraged employees to sign up for as many meetings as their schedules allowed. “We all work from three monitors,” the employee commented, suggesting that taking multiple classes in a fast-paced work environment may seem like a harmless form of multitasking.
Ernst & Young’s multitasking culture
The debate over whether these layoffs are fair goes beyond simple policy violations. Some former EY employees pointed to the firm’s broader culture of multitasking, with partners often managing multiple client calls at once, turning cameras on and off depending on who they were talking to. One fired employee commented: “If it’s unethical, then it’s unethical.”
However, EY stands by its decision, viewing the termination as a necessary response to uphold ethical standards. The company emphasizes that “integrity and ethics are the overarching principles of everything we do.” This indicates that they consider any violation, no matter how small, to be a serious breach of trust.
Corporate ethics and employee cognition
The recent firings at both Meta and EY have raised questions about corporate culture, ethics and the severity of disciplinary measures. While companies such as Meta and EY are expected to maintain strict codes of conduct, employee reactions show a disconnect between policies and day-to-day practice.
At Meta, employees seemed confused because misuse of a $25 dinner voucher (especially among highly paid professionals) could lead to termination. Ernst & Young echoed this sentiment, with employees viewing their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning during training weeks as productive rather than unethical.
The Meta and EY cases highlight a growing trend in corporate governance where seemingly minor breaches can lead to significant consequences. As companies increasingly focus on ethics and cost-saving measures, employees may find themselves subject to stricter rules, even in seemingly trivial areas. It remains to be seen whether this will lead to more transparency in company policies or further tensions between employees and management. But one thing is clear: In today’s corporate world, even a $25 meal voucher can have serious consequences.
