FacebookparentMetareportedly has an internal blocklist that bans former employees from rejoining the company, even those with strong performance records. According to Business Insider, former employees often discover that they are on these lists only after repeated failed attempts to return to the tech giant.
“That was the first time I had a real indication that I was on some kind of list,” a senior engineer told Business Insider after learning they were deemed “ineligible for rehire” despite consistently receiving “Exceeded Expectations” ratings during their four-year tenure.

Meta’s secret blocklists leave former employees in the dark

The company reportedly uses multiple systems to track rehire ineligibility, including a “non-regrettable attrition” designation and a “do not rehire” flag. What’s particularly troubling is how former employees learn of their status—often through third-party staffing agencies rather than Meta itself.
“I got really frustrated because they didn’t tell me the reason,” said another former employee who was approached for a contract position similar to their previous role. “They gave this information to a third party, the contract company, but not to me.”
Business Insider report claims that its investigation revealed that managers at Meta could easily place employees on these lists. One former manager claimed it would “take minutes to get someone marked as ‘non-regrettable'” by “just filling out a form” and “putting in any real issue.”

What Meta has to say on its secret blocklists

Meta defended its practices in a statement: “There are clear criteria for when someone is marked ineligible for rehire that are applied to all departing employees and there are checks and balances in the process.”
Laszlo Bock, Google’s former head of people operations, notes that Meta’s approach unusual. She further added that it’s “incredibly uncommon,” and is “very, very rare. Bock says that he had “never heard of a company having a ‘do not rehire’ designation for former employees.”
While not illegal, employment attorney Ashley Herd told Business Insider such practices could pose legal risks if they disproportionately affect protected groups, calling it “really a terrible practice because you’re missing out on talent.”
Despite frustrations, some former employees remain interested in returning. As one senior engineer put it: “It’s the worst company I’ve ever worked for. But they also pay the best. If I could get in there for a couple more years and make bank, I would do it.”