The Meta logo on the front of an office building.
Image: © Askar/Stock.adobe.com

Meta wants staff back in the office three days a week

2 Jun 2023

A company spokesperson reportedly said this decision only applies to staff who already work in Meta offices some days and won’t affect fully remote workers.

Meta has joined other tech giants in adjusting its hybrid work policies, as company staff will need to work in the office at least three days a week from September.

This marks the most drastic change to Meta’s stance since it began expanding remote working options during the Covid-19 pandemic. The new decision was first reported by The Information.

The company began notifying staff about the planned changes yesterday (1 June), according to Meta transportation planning analyst Matthew Stafford.

Stafford claims the hybrid policy will apply to roughly 50,000 employees attached to an office site and “could have bigger impacts in places where we have a larger presence”. “Lots of work to do to make sure that we can support this return in a sustainable way and reduce traffic impacts in our surrounding communities,” Stafford said in a LinkedIn post.

In a statement seen by The Wall Street Journal, Meta said the move won’t affect workers who currently have fully remote positions and only applies to those who are already work in offices on some days. A Meta spokesperson said the decision is meant to foster “the collaboration, relationships and culture necessary for employees to do their best work”.

It is understood the global guidance will apply to Irish staff. The tech giant employs an estimated 2,600 staff in the country, though roughly 490 job losses are set to occur across its Irish operations.

Big Tech’s hybrid policies

In 2021, Meta told staff that it would allow for permanent remote working after the pandemic. At this time, other tech giants had mixed responses to the possibility of permanent remote working.

Twitter said early on in the pandemic that it would allow staff to work from home “forever”, but this policy has changed since Elon Musk took over the company last year. Musk said last November that staff could work from home if it was not logistically possible for them to go to the office.

Meta’s decision is similar to the stance Apple took last year, when it announced staff would have to be present in the office at least three days a week. Google also said its staff would have to return to the office on a hybrid basis last year.

Despite the changing stance of some tech companies, remote working jobs still appear to be sought after by prospective employees. Data from Zoom and FRS Recruitment in January found that hybrid and remote job posts in Ireland had almost doubled over the previous 12 months.

10 things you need to know direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of essential sci-tech news.

Leigh Mc Gowran
By Leigh Mc Gowran

Leigh Mc Gowran is a journalist with Silicon Republic since November 2021. He has previously worked as an environmental and breaking news journalist, and a local radio presenter. When he’s not writing articles and stressing about the climate emergency, he enjoys judging the latest film releases and perfecting his renowned cooking skills. He also has a love for video games, coffee and cats.

Loading now, one moment please! Loading