In the wake of the recent Meta layoffs, many employees have found themselves unexpectedly out of work, including new mothers who had been on maternity leave. One such employee shared her story on LinkedIn, describing how her maternity leave was cut short due to the layoffs and expressing her gratitude for the support she has received in the aftermath.
Sara Schneider, a talent acquisition recruiter, had spent three years at Meta, described her time at the company as "amazing" and praised her colleagues for their hard work and dedication. Taking to LinkedIn, she also noted that the layoffs were not performance-based, and many top performers were let go alongside her.
“In my time at Meta I went through so many major life milestones! I moved 3 times, found the love of my life, we moved in together, got engaged, got married, got pregnant, and had our first baby!” Schneider said recalling good times at the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company.
Moreover, the woman shared that she had experienced a life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage during the birth of her child, which added an extra layer of trauma to the already difficult experience of being laid off. Despite this, she remained positive and determined to persevere for the sake of her son and her own career.
“During my birth process, I suffered from an almost fatal post-partum hemorrhage 8 hours after giving birth. I lost over 5 Liters of blood with massive blood clots and blood pressure in the 50’s. Although incredibly traumatic, I know I was kept alive for a reason. It gives me perspective that I have a purpose, and the hills and valleys of life are just that – temporary. I made a promise to myself if I made it out alive, I wouldn't sweat life so much and be grateful for everything around me,” she wrote.
For new mothers like her, the impact of the layoffs is particularly devastating. Maternity leave is a critical time for new mothers to bond with their babies and adjust to the challenges of motherhood, and the sudden loss of a job can add an additional layer of stress and uncertainty.
In light of the layoffs, the woman called on her community to offer support in any way they can, including sharing job leads and providing referrals to companies that are hiring. She also shared a photo of her son Lucas, reminding others of the joys and rewards of motherhood despite the challenges.
This situation highlights the ongoing struggle that women face in the workplace, particularly when it comes to balancing their careers with their responsibilities as mothers. While many companies have made strides in recent years to support working mothers, there is still much work to be done to ensure that women are not penalized for taking time off to care for their families.
Several tech giants including Amazon and Microsoft have slashed jobs with the former announcing 9,000 more layoffs on Monday.
