A rogue squirrel briefly took over a Meta office in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday, causing chaos and a minor injury to a janitor. The furry intruder spent around 20 minutes darting around the workspace, according to an internal memo reviewed by WIRED. Employees, facing a challenging year with layoffs and restructurings, found humor in the unexpected visit.
Meta's Ongoing Challenges and Staff Morale
Meta has faced numerous challenges in 2023, including significant layoffs and an initiative to train AI using employee data without consent. These issues have contributed to a morale crisis among staff. To combat this, Meta executives are reportedly funding social outings and improving office food quality, as shared by current employees.
The squirrel incident provided a brief distraction from the ongoing pressures at Meta. “Employees are predictably having a field day with it internally,” tweeted New York Times journalist Mike Isaac, who first reported the story. “One person created an AI-generated video mimicking an HR training course on squirrel-related office best practices.”
The Incident: Squirrel's Unplanned Adventure
The squirrel was unintentionally delivered to the office inside a package, where it managed to escape. The janitor who accepted the delivery was later noted to have “acknowledged their misconduct” and has committed to following office regulations to prevent future incidents. The memo mentioned that the janitor received first aid after sustaining a scratch on the finger and was later taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
