In a post published earlier today by Mark Zuckerberg himself, Facebook announced that company gatherings of 50 or more people are officially canceled until June of 2021.
This week’s numerous press conferences from East and West Coast governors have proven that, yes, there is a light at the end of this dark and narrow tunnel. But that illumination is incredibly conditional and subject to waxing and waning. Per Governor Newsom, the lifting of certain shelter-in-place order restrictions exists on a “dimmer switch.” Facebook CEO and cryptic billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is heeding such intel — and the advice predicated by state and national scientists — saying today that Facebook has no plans to carry out company gatherings of 50 or more people until next summer.
“Even beyond this next period, guidance from health experts is that it won't be advisable to have large groups of people get together for a while,” he continues in a lengthy update to his own Facebook page Thursday. “Given this, we're canceling any large physical events we had planned with 50 or more people through June 2021.”
Some scheduled events and meetings, however, will be moved to “virtual” platforms, with more updates to come. Zuckerberg also wrote there will still be no company-related business travel through “at least June of this year,” later insisting “[Facebook] doesn’t expect to have everyone back in our offices for some time.”
Regardless of the mounding layoffs across the county, the social media giant still hopes to hire thousands this calendar year.
According to Forbes, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said the company still has plans to hire an additional 10,000 employees in 2020, adding too that no one will be laid off as a result of the pandemic. Though, Facebook is far from struggling, even amidst this global crisis; the company’s stocks rose 19 percent since March 16 — the day before the nearly Bay Area-wide shelter-in-place order went into effect.
Facebook is expected to report earnings for Q1 (January 1 to March 31) by the end of April, which, according to some analysts predict, might reveal a 20 percent contraction in company earnings due to ad revenue losses.
Related: Newsom Lays It Down That Stay-At-Home Orders Not Getting Lifted Anytime Soon
Image: Unsplash via Tim Bennett
