Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to eligible employees in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and India. Chief people officer Amy Coleman announced the “Voluntary Exit Offer” in a memo to staff that the company published on its blog on Monday.
About 60,000 employees are eligible, roughly a quarter of Microsoft’s workforce. Bloomberg first reported that number, and Microsoft later confirmed it, according to The Next Web.
Who’s eligible
- Employees at level 70 and below, which includes general managers and some people with VP titles, but not corporate vice presidents.
- Only on teams whose leaders chose to take part. The memo says some groups are offering it and some aren’t.
- There’s no age or tenure requirement, and performance isn’t a factor, The Next Web reports.
The Verge’s sources say eligible teams include Copilot, CoreAI, Windows and Devices, Xbox, finance and HR, while security, marketing and quantum are left out, per The Next Web. Sales is not taking part.
What’s on offer
The memo promises financial support and career planning help, but no figures. The Next Web reports the payout matches Microsoft’s standard severance: base pay based on tenure and level, continued stock vesting, health coverage for a set period, and job-search help. Staff have until the first week of December to decide.
It follows a voluntary retirement program Microsoft ran for U.S. staff earlier this year. Coleman calls this one a way to give people thinking of leaving “a new choice to make that transition now with support,” and says it also lets teams reshape their workforce.
Why it matters: A quarter of Microsoft’s workforce is being invited to leave, and Canadian staff are included. Microsoft hasn’t published separate Canadian terms, so anyone eligible here should check the offer email against what provincial employment law already guarantees before deciding.
