Meta recently served Workplace’s 7 million users with an eviction notice. By the end of August 2025, the platform will be “read only”. And by the beginning of June 2026, it’ll be nothing more than a distant memory.
Love it or hate it, your business now has to plan for the future of your internal communications. Where will you move to? How will you manage the data migration? And how on earth will you guide your employees through this unexpected change?
Before you jump to any conclusions, take a breather. Ground yourself. And – though it’s easier said than done – don’t panic. We’re here to take some stress out of the migration process.
In our post-Workplace survival guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know – from Meta’s hard deadlines to selecting the perfect digital workplace solution. Let’s get stuck in.
You’ll be pleased to hear there’s no big red ‘off’ button or instantaneous shutdown. Your business will have plenty of time to migrate its data off Workplace and find a new alternative.
That being said, make sure you jot down these important dates in your work calendar:
August 31 2025
Up until this date, your teams can use Workplace as normal.
September 1 2025 – May 31 2026
During this period, your teams will not be able to use Workplace. However, you’ll still be able to read and download your existing data.
June 1 2026
At this point, Meta will officially shutdown Workplace. Meaning you’ll no longer have access to your platform or the data within it.
Memorised the dates? Now it’s time to plan for the months ahead.
The thought of hunting for a new digital workplace solution can be daunting, particularly when it wasn’t your choice to leave in the first place.
But, much like any change, it’s important to take the process one step at a time and embrace the positives that await you. The grass can be greener on the other side; you just have to know how to get there first.
On that note, here’s your first step:
Imagine you’re moving house. When looking for a new abode, it’s only natural to use your current property as a benchmark. If you like the large kitchen-diner, the chances are you’ll want to find something similar in your new place. If you don’t make much use of your garage, there’s little point in adding ‘garage’ to your list of ‘must haves’. (And so on!)
The same principle applies here.
Before kicking off your software research, you’ll need to assess your existing Workplace environment – not just as an individual tasked with finding a replacement, but as a team.
Engage employees across your business and ask them three fundamental questions:
To back up this feedback, refer to your Workplace user statistics. This will give you an idea of employee engagement levels and shine a light on the features you do and don’t use.
Armed with your list of ‘must-haves’, ‘nice-to-haves’, and ‘would-rather-not-haves’, you’re now ready to research Meta Workplace alternatives.
While there are plenty of options available, we’d advise you not to go with the first name that springs to mind. To avoid buyer’s remorse and ensure you find the right home for your internal comms, you’ll have to do your due diligence.
We’d recommend following a thorough criteria checklist that covers:
Features. Does the platform offer similar or better Workplace features? Are there additional tools that could enhance your digital workplace efforts, such as Learning Management Systems and business process automation?
Usability. Does the platform have a simple user interface? Can non-technical users build out pages without any assistance from IT? Can you access the tool via a mobile application or web browser?
Security measures. Does the platform allow you to configure user permissions and restrict access? Can you enable multi-factor authentication and enforce strong password policies? If you opt for a SaaS deployment, how secure is the cloud environment?
Technical compatibility. Can you deploy the software on-premises or in the cloud? Can you integrate the software with your existing workplace tools?
Pricing structures and scalability. Is the pricing plan transparent? Does it match your budget expectations/align with your Workplace investment? Does it cost more to adopt additional features?
Before you commit to a platform, be sure to assess the vendor, too.
After all, an intranet is a long-term investment. You need to make sure you’re working with a partner you can trust beyond the initial honeymoon stage.
Bearing this in mind, spend some time investigating your vendor’s:
Security standards. Your vendor should follow stringent security standards (such as ISO 27001, ISO 9001 and HIPAA), work with a reputable cloud hosting partner, and implement rigorous internal security measures.
Online feedback and reviews. What do existing users of the platform say about the company? Are there any industry-relevant customers you could reach out to?
Industry recognition. For example, Claromentis has earned a number of reputable badges from G2, a well known software marketplace. These demonstrate the quality of our product as well as our support services.
Customer service support. Beyond onboarding assistance and training, can you rely on the vendor to investigate and resolve your tickets? Do they offer consultancy support to help you make the most of your investment?
Now that you know where you’re moving to, it’s time to plan how you’re going to get there.
Begin by determining what you plan to migrate. If you’re eager to start afresh on your new digital workplace solution, a simple ‘spring clean’ approach may suffice. This involves culling the files you no longer need on Workplace and only migrating essential files to your new platform.
If you need to migrate most or all of your Workplace data, you’ll require a more substantial ‘lift and shift’ approach.
From here, you can flesh out the details of your migration strategy. Your plan should include the following information:
Key project milestones and phases. When do you plan to migrate? (Remember, while you’ll still have access to your data after August 2025, it won’t last forever!) How will you phase out Workplace? At what point will your employees start using the new platform? Will you roll out features/usage all at once or gradually?
Project stakeholders. This list may include project owners, managers, and third parties, and should include details of each stakeholders’ responsibilities.
Resources needed for the migration, including financial and human resources.
Potential risks. Making a note of risks – such as capacity conflicts or data security concerns – will help you mitigate them. For the former, you may be able to postpone other projects to free-up team resources. For the latter, you may test your own security protocols or request information from your vendor (in regards to data handling practices, cloud hosting security, or similar).
You’ve got the keys to your new digital workplace tool. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves, grab your DIY tools, and make the place feel like home.
Customisation options will differ depending on the platform you choose, but the best tools on the market should allow you to:
Did you know that only a third of business change initiatives succeed? This is largely a result of organisations adopting top-down, executive-led approaches that don’t resonate with employees.
To avoid this high failure rate, assign ‘change champions’ across your teams. These are employees who see value in your new intranet software and are eager to experiment with features, share tips, and help fellow employees learn the ropes. With their enthusiasm and early platform access, they can:
By engaging your employees in the change management process, you can increase the probability of success by up to 12%.
To support these efforts, lean on your vendor as much as possible. The right internal communications partner will offer personalised training, customer service support, and an extensive library of learning resources.
To reap the benefits of your new digital workplace solution, you’ll need to adopt a continuous improvement mindset.
By referring to platform analytics, as well as periodically asking for feedback from your employees and change champions, you can pinpoint inefficiencies and identify productivity-enhancing opportunities.
The changes you make could be as small as shifting the modules around on your home page and adjusting your permissions settings, or as large as building a new workflow automation or requesting a custom intranet application.
Migrations are hard work, so accept help wherever you can.
Whether you’re struggling to organise your files for migration or finding it difficult to gain employee buy-in, don’t be afraid to reach out to your platform provider. They should provide you with one-to-one support, migration assistance, and platform customisation options if you need it.
There’s a fairly long runway before Workplace takes off into the sunset in June 2026. But time’s a slippery thing, and it’s better to prepare for your migration now rather than wait until the final hour.
By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure your migration is as painless as possible. In fact, you may find that the process is without any pain at all.
Though change is difficult, it’s also rife with possibility. Right now, you have the opportunity to find a platform that doesn’t just ‘replace’ Workplace but outperforms it.
With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to our digital workplace solution, Claromentis.
Specifically designed to streamline your business’s communications and processes, the tool comes ready-made with four powerful platforms:
Eager to see the solution in action? You can try a live browser-based version of Claromentis here. There’s no catch; it’s completely free to use, so explore to your heart’s content!