Mark Zuckerberg 'visibly frustrated' over worker's vacation question

Mark Zuckerberg was not quite able to hide his irritation with an employee who asked about vacation days during a company meeting.

At a Q+A meeting on June 30, the Meta CEO made several announcements, including plans to cut underperforming workers, according to a recent report.

Zuckerberg reportedly warned employees that the recent market slump "might be one of the worst downturns that we've seen in recent history" before introducing planned cost cuts.

So, perhaps it wasn't the best time for a Chicago employee to ask whether "Meta Days," (extra time off introduced following the pandemic), would continue next year.

Although, to their credit, the question was pre-recorded before the online meeting began.

"Um … all right," Zuckerberg replied in a recording obtained by US news site The Verge. "Given my tone in the rest of the Q&A, you can probably imagine what my reaction to this is."

During that meeting, Zuckerberg came down strong on employees, saying Meta would implement higher standards and cut people who couldn't meet new performance guidelines.

"Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn't be here," Zuckerberg said, shocking many listeners.

According to Meta spokesperson Joe Osborne, this shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone who knows Meta.

"The reports about these efforts are consistent with this focus and what we've already shared publicly about our operating style," he said in a statement.

"Any company that wants to have a lasting impact must practice disciplined prioritisation and work with a high level of intensity to reach goals."

Holiday leave in America

The US is one of only a few countries (and the only industrialised country in the world) that does not treat paid leave as a right. Therefore, the amount of annual leave varies by employer.

Exact numbers are hard to find but reports claim Meta employees at most US locations get 21 vacation days, 11 company holidays and "sick days when you need them."

This is generous considering the average in the US is around 10 days per year.

In 2020, Zuckerberg also gave all employees the entire week of Thanksgiving off and added three additional days of paid leave, called Meta Leave.

Zuckerberg himself is a fan of mixing pleasure with business and going on holiday while travelling for work.

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In recent years he has travelled extensively with his wife, Priscilla Chan, to popular tourist destinations like the Louvre in Paris, Greece's Parthenon and Kaua'i Island in Hawaii, where he owns multiple properties.