REDMOND, Wash. (Diya TV) — Microsoft is offering voluntary exit packages to about 60,000 employees across the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, giving roughly 27% of its global workforce the option to leave with financial support. The program applies to eligible employees at level 70 and below in participating teams, but Microsoft says eligibility depends on each organization’s staffing needs.
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the Voluntary Exit Offer in an employee memo Monday. She said the program gives workers considering a move outside Microsoft a supported way to leave and gives participating teams another way to adjust staffing. Microsoft has not described the offer as a companywide layoff.
The company employed 223,000 full-time workers worldwide as of June 30. It has not released a complete list of teams included in the offer. Reuters reported that eligible groups include AI experiences, Copilot, Finance, Human Resources, Xbox and Windows + Devices. Marketing, commercial business and security teams are excluded, according to a person familiar with the plan.
Eligible workers will receive individual offers by email. Microsoft says the terms resemble its standard severance packages and vary by employee. Business Insider, which reviewed offer documents, reported that U.S. packages differ by internal level and tenure and may include continued health coverage and stock vesting. Microsoft has not published a public, companywide breakdown of the terms.
Employees have until early December to decide, with departures expected at year-end. Unlike a retirement offer Microsoft made earlier this year, the new program does not require employees to meet a minimum age or length-of-service threshold.
The earlier program covered about 8,750 U.S. employees, or roughly 7% of Microsoft’s domestic workforce. More than 30% of eligible employees accepted, according to reports. Microsoft later announced plans to eliminate about 4,800 positions, including cuts in its Xbox gaming division.
The new offer arrives as Microsoft expands spending on AI infrastructure. The company forecast $175 billion in capital expenditures for calendar year 2026, much of it tied to data centers and chips. Microsoft and other large technology companies face investor pressure to show that heavy AI spending will produce sustainable returns.
Microsoft has also integrated its Copilot assistant into products such as Windows and Microsoft 365, while investing in the computing capacity needed to run AI services. The buyout offer lets participating organizations reduce staffing voluntarily as the company redirects resources and adjusts to shifting business priorities.
Microsoft’s shares rose about 1% Monday. The company was scheduled to report quarterly earnings Wednesday, giving investors a near-term look at revenue growth, infrastructure spending and demand for its AI products.
