Meta is bolstering perks like happy hours and company swag as it pushes staff to return to office, despite its 'year of efficiency'

• The tech giant has revived employee perks in an attempt to boost staff morale, reports Bloomberg.

• Company merch, happy hours, and snack bars all saw cuts during Mark Zuckerberg's "year of efficiency."

• But Meta is now bringing them back as it tells staff to come into the office at least three days a week.

Meta is trying to tempt employees to return to the office by bringing back perks such as happy hours and branded t-shirts.

The company has revived a number of pre-pandemic employee perks, according to Bloomberg, a change that unnamed sources said has boosted morale amongst staff after a year of layoffs and acrimony over Meta's return-to-the-office policies.

The perks returning include branded t-shirts, happy hours, laundry services, and free haircuts. Many were sacrificed as Meta cut back on spending, with Mark Zuckerberg calling for a "year of efficiency" in February.

The tech giant's drive to cut costs and boost profitability has seen it lay off about 25% of its staff since November 2022, although Meta has recently begun to rehire some of those who lost their jobs.

Although many employee perks were pared back rather than removed completely during the cuts, employees told Bloomberg they had noticed a decline in office amenities, with some offices running out of La Croix, a sparkling drink favored by staff.

A Meta spokesperson told Bloomberg that while the company was bringing back some perks, "Dinner, happy hour and company swag never really went away, merely adjusted given the pandemic and budgets."

The revived perks, which also include a new coffee bar and earlier dinners, are part of Meta's renewed effort to lure staff back into the office.

Despite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg being an early advocate of working from home, suggesting last year that as many as half of the Meta's employees could be remote by 2030, the company has taken an increasingly tough stance returning to office.

Last month, Meta announced that employees would be required to work in the office at least three days a week, and warned that those who repeatedly refused to comply risked losing their jobs.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

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