Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees
Microsoft told staff on Monday that employees in the U.S., Canada, India and the U.K. at level 70 and below can take voluntary buyouts. Those who accept will leave on Dec. 31, and the group is more than a quarter of the workforce.
Employees must decide in early December. Microsoft chief people officer Amy Coleman announced the offer in a memo. She said the buyout reflects an important part of how the company is evolving its approach to change.
Microsoft said the offer covers participating teams and includes some executives. The package is the same as the company's standard severance. Staff who leave also get financial support and career planning resources.
Microsoft has about 223,000 full-time employees. The company said it expects a much smaller share to accept this offer than the roughly 30% who took an earlier voluntary retirement offer this year.
One report said the offer comes as Microsoft balances spending on AI infrastructure with capital efficiency. Microsoft announced layoffs of 4,800 employees in July.
Key facts
- Who
- Microsoft (technology company offering the buyouts); Amy Coleman (EVP and chief people officer, Microsoft)
- What
- Microsoft is offering buyouts to around 60,000 of its employees, according to the headline and description. The description says the offers mark the company's latest efforts to cut costs and rework its workforce.
- When
- 26 October 2026
- Where
- U.S., Canada, U.K.
- Status
- Reported