Microsoft launches voluntary exit program for up to 60,000 staff
Microsoft announced a time-limited voluntary exit offer for eligible employees in the US, UK, Canada and India, potentially affecting up to 60,000 workers across several divisions.
Microsoft has opened a voluntary exit offer (VEO) for eligible staff in participating teams located in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and India. The program, announced by executive-vice-president and chief people officer Amy Coleman, applies to employees at level 70 and below and is limited in time.
Sources say as many as 60,000 workers could qualify, with eligibility spanning teams such as AI experiences, Copilot, CoreAI, Windows + Devices, Xbox, finance and human resources. Parts of the cloud + AI, MicrosoftAI, corporate, external and legal affairs divisions are also participating.
"The Voluntary Exit Offer is new for us. We'll learn from it. At the same time, we'll keep helping people focus on the work that matters most, build new skills and, where it makes sense, find new opportunities across Microsoft," Coleman wrote.
"The Voluntary Exit Offer reflects an important part of how we're evolving our approach to change: creating greater flexibility and, where possible, more ways for employees to shape their next chapter," she added.
The offer follows a voluntary retirement program introduced earlier in the year, which was limited to about 9,000 U.S. employees meeting specific age and service criteria.