With the rate at which people are being booted off the platform, the censors at Facebook must be tired of hitting that “ban” button countless times per day. But now, they’re going to get rewarded for their hard work. Facebook just announced that the company is raising the compensation of its contract workers – specifically the controversial content moderators in the US.
Facebook now vows to pay its content moderators with a wage that will be on par with the cost of living in the country.
Additionally, Facebook will also lift the salary and other benefits of its content moderators whom the company admits are working hard to ensure that users are sticking to the “community standards”.
From Facebook:
“Today we’re committing to pay everyone who does contract work at Facebook in the US a wage that’s more reflective of local costs of living,” the company said in a blog post. “And for those who review content on our site to make sure it follows our community standards, we’re going even further. We’re going to provide them a higher base wage, additional benefits, and more supportive programs given the nature of their jobs.”
Currently, contract workers employed by Facebook are paid with a $15 minimum wage. In addition, they also receive 15 paid days off for holidays, sick time, and vacation leaves. For parents who don’t receive paid leave, Facebook gives them a $4,000 new child benefit. Facebook has also provided comprehensive healthcare to its contract workers since 2016.
Now, due to the numerous criticisms that it received recently, Facebook is beefing up those wages, specifically for its contract workers based in Washington, New York, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
The new minimum wage will now be $20 for the three areas and $18 for workers in Seattle. The new wages only apply to workers who are not doing content moderation. For its content moderators in the Bay Area, New York, and Washington, Facebook will increase its minimum wage to $22 per hour. Those moderators in Seattle will receive $20 per hour while those in other areas will get $18 minimum wage per hour.
According to Facebook, the decision was made due to several factors such as third-party guidelines. The changes in employment policy will be implemented by mid-next year. In addition, the company will also implement a similar policy for its employees in other countries especially since the bulk of content moderation work on Facebook are done by workers from other countries.
In addition to a wage increase, Facebook will also give its content moderators access to other benefits including access to ongoing well-being and resiliency training, and around-the-clock on-site counseling. The company will also launch a survey among its content moderators to determine what would make them happy.
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