Meta laid off 8,000 people on May 21, 2026. Here is the next 72 hours.
Meta workers in the affected groups should treat the next three days as a paperwork and targeting sprint. Save the packet, check each deadline, and start with roles where Meta-scale systems experience is an obvious fit.
Severance snapshot
- Severance, weeks of pay
- 16 weeks base + 2 weeks per year of service source
- COBRA, monthly
- $900 single / $2,400 family source
- COBRA election deadline
- July 20, 2026 60 days from your last day source
- Equity exercise window
- 90 days from termination expires August 19, 2026 source
- Health coverage end date
- May 31, 2026 end of the termination month source
- Sign-on clawback
- No source
Your timeline from May 21, 2026
- May 21, 2026 Last day
- May 31, 2026 Health coverage ends
- July 20, 2026 COBRA election deadline
- August 19, 2026 Equity exercise deadline
- September 10, 2026 Base severance ends
WARN Act status
First 72 hours
- Do not sign the severance agreement on the spot. Read the release, payment timing, restrictions, and claims waiver before accepting.EEOC
- Compare COBRA against marketplace coverage. Losing job coverage opens a special enrollment window, and marketplace coverage can be cheaper than COBRA.HealthCare.gov
- File for unemployment this week. Benefits generally start from the week you file, so waiting can cost you money.U.S. DOL
Commonly reported figures. Verify with HR or counsel. Not legal or financial advice.