Employees from Meta were prohibited from discussing "very disruptive" topics in the workplace, including abortion, gun control, pending legislation, and vaccine efficacy. This was announced in a leaked internal memo from Meta's Head of People Lori Goler.
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 09: A general view outside the Meta office in King's Cross on November 9, 2022 in London, England. Meta, Facebook's parent company, officially opened its new office here in March at a ceremony attended by then-Prince Charles. The company announced late yesterday that it was cutting more than 11,000 jobs globally, citing declining revenues and saying it grew too rapidly in recent years. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
(Photo : Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 09: A general view outside the Meta office in King's Cross on November 9, 2022 in London, England. Meta, Facebook's parent company, officially opened its new office here in March at a ceremony attended by then-Prince Charles. The company announced late yesterday that it was cutting more than 11,000 jobs globally, citing declining revenues and saying it grew too rapidly in recent years.
Banning Discussion of Sensitive Topics
Meta issued an internal memo informing the employees that the company prohibits discussions of sensitive issues like abortion, gun control, pending legislation, and vaccine efficacy at the workplace. Fortune reported that the leaked memo was issued by Head of People Lori Goler.
Goler stated, "We're doing this to ensure that internal discussions remain respectful, productive, and allow us to focus. This comes with the trade-off that we'll no longer allow for every type of expression at work, but we think this is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our internal community."
Meanwhile, employees who were required to discuss these topics for work will be exempted from these policies. The new 'Community Engagement Expectations' memorandum also clarified that these guidelines do not extend outside work.
According to TechCrunch, the decision of these prohibitions is inclined to Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg desire on increasing the intensity at the workplace. By banning discussions about sensitive topics, it will keep the employees focused on their work as it minimizes disruption.
Goler added that the company was often asked to sign advocacy letters that are very important topics yet not work-related, which can distract the company from focusing on their mission. "So going forward, as a company we will only make public statements on issues that are core to our business," she wrote.
Previous Memos
Meta also did the same prohibition last June by warning employees not to discuss the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. While the company value expression, open discussion, and inclusivity, Business Insider stated this decision aims to provide direction around the workplace and reduce distractions.
Vice President of HR Janell Gale stated that "even if people are respectful, and they're attempting to be respectful about their view on abortion, it can still leave people feeling like they're being targeted based on their gender or religion." This was followed by the removal of Facebook and Instagram posts that offers abortion pills to women.
Last year, Meta asked the Oversight Board as they issued the complete policy advice on cross-checking regulations. This is an internal tool of Facebook and Instagram that protects users from the automatic content moderation systems of the platforms mentioned.
As the board concluded its review, they found several shortcomings in the program. It states that the program looks like it was made to fulfill business-related concerns instead of human rights concerns. Meta has also been accused of not being fully "forthcoming" about this system.
