Sources: Facebook says all employees will get a $1,000 bonus and earn at least their full bonus for their first 6-month review of 2020 amid COVID-19 crisis
giving all employees at least their full normal bonuses — in its 16-year history Sam Biddle / @samfbiddle : Full story here: https://theintercept.com/... Facebook's argument is that a $1000 payment to contractors would be less “meaningful” than the paid leave they will receive, although it's unclear why they couldn't receive both given the co's $50 billion cash reserves Nick Corasaniti / @nytnickc : “Facebook, which as of last December held over $50 billion in cash, will provide no such payout for the tens of thousands of contract workers who keep the company's apps and sites running.” https://theintercept.com/... Jason Koebler / @jason_koebler : ah yes we all know money is less “meaningful” to those in more vulnerable situations https://twitter.com/... Christina Warren / @film_girl : Hey @Facebook this is well done. https://www.theverge.com/... Ellen K. Pao / @ekp : You know it's just a PR move when the people who most need the money aren't eligible https://twitter.com/... Alex Kantrowitz / @kantrowitz : Facebook gives a $1,000 bonus to its most well-paid workers to get them through this hard time. But not to the hourly workers who spend their days moderating the worst parts of its service https://twitter.com/... Wagatwe Wanjuki / @wagatwe : Even rich workers are getting cash assistance https://twitter.com/... @blerdgirl : Did he just rummage around in his couch for pocket change or something? You're a BILLIONAIRE, bitch. Make it monsoon! https://twitter.com/... Andrew Therriault / @therriaultphd : I'm confused. Facebook pays *really* well already, so these are the people who need it least. Why not provide this as, say, donation matches to community organizations helping people who aren't doing well right now? https://twitter.com/... Alex Heath / @alexeheath : Story now has quotes from Zuckerberg. Also: - FB contractors will be paid regardless of whether they can do their job from home or not - FB is shifting its most sensitive moderation work to full time employees - Exploring giving workers more time off to take care of kids at home Alex Heath / @alexeheath : Zuckerberg memo to Facebookers: “I know this is an incredibly stressful time for everyone, and I appreciate everything you're all doing to adapt...and make sure we can keep providing important social and communications infrastructure for billions of people around the world.” Alex Heath / @alexeheath : Facebook CEO Zuckerberg announced internally that all 45K employees are getting $1,000 in cash and will earn at least their full bonuses for their six-month review. It's the boldest step yet by a large co. to offset the financial impact of coronavirus. http://thein.fo/... Jessica Lessin / @jessicalessin : Facebook is the first to give employees bonus (and to tweak regular review bonus.) Others will follow. @jtoonkel and @alexeheath with the scoop. https://www.theinformation.com/ ... Gretchen Anderson / @gretared : I hope anyone working there making more than six figures finds a way to spread that around to some service workers and the like https://twitter.com/...
Context & Ripple Effects
Facebook's move reverses course from early last year, when it said employee bonuses would be tied to Zuckerberg's 2019 goals on social issues rather than growth metrics — now the first six-month review of 2020 is guaranteed at full value regardless of performance. The split the coverage highlights is between direct employees, who get a $1,000 payment plus the bonus floor, and the tens of thousands of contractors who keep the apps running and reportedly get neither, despite the company holding over $50 billion in cash.
First-order effects
- Facebook's full-time employees immediately receive a $1,000 cash payment and certainty on their first 2020 review, removing performance risk during the crisis.
- Contract workers are excluded from both the bonus and the payout, leaving them dependent on whatever paid leave arrangements Facebook has already committed to.
Second-order effects
- Rivals face a matching dynamic: Microsoft's later $1,500 pandemic bonus for eligible employees shows the one-time payment becoming a competitive standard across big tech.
- Facebook itself layered more onto the employee side within months, extending work-from-home into mid-2021 with an additional $1,000 home-office stipend — deepening the gap between employee benefits and contractor terms.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, the two-tier workforce structure becomes harder to defend publicly: large-cash-balance platforms will face recurring pressure to extend crisis payments to the contractors who operate their infrastructure.
The trend: Big-tech crisis response is hardening into an employee-vs-contractor benefits divide, with one-time payments becoming a competitive baseline among cash-rich platforms.