In order to partially defray the costs of working remotely, Facebook (META 2.33%) said it will give each of its employees $1,000. CEO Mark Zuckerberg sent an internal memo to workers saying the company wants to support staff forced to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn't immediately clear whether those bonuses would also be offered to Facebook's thousands of contract workers.
The company, which had nearly 45,000 full-time employees as of the end of also said that all employees will be granted an "exceeds" rating on their performance evaluations for the first six months of 2020, which is one of a number of factors that could result in people receiving significant bonuses for the year.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Image source: Facebook.
Facebook initially asked its Seattle employees to work remotely earlier this month after one of its contractors came down with the virus. Similar moves have been taken by many big tech companies. Facebook has since been working with partners to extend its work-from-home policy to its content review contractors, who will also work remotely until further notice.
Those are just a few of the steps the tech giant has taken to address the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, it announced on Tuesday that it would launch a $100 million grant program to help support up to 30,000 small businesses impacted by the unfolding worldwide pandemic. Also, in conjunction with the United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization, Facebook developed the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund: 100% of the money it raises will go directly to support work to prevent, detect, and respond to the outbreak around the world. The company is also matching up to $10 million in donations, while also matching $10 million in contributions to the Centers for Disease Control Foundation.
