Microsoft opens a voluntary exit offer, with about 60,000 staff eligible, CNBC reports

Microsoft said on 26 Oct (27 Oct AEST) that it is introducing a Voluntary Exit Offer for eligible employees in participating organisations. In a staff memo published on the Official Microsoft Blog, chief people officer Amy Coleman said the offer is time-limited and voluntary, and is open to eligible staff in participating teams in Canada, India, the UK and the US at level 70 and below. She said some organisations are offering it and some are not.

CNBC reports that around 60,000 people are eligible, about 27% of Microsoft's 223,000 employees, citing a person familiar with the matter. Reuters also reports about 60,000. CNBC's source says staff must decide in early December and anyone who accepts leaves on 31 Dec. Microsoft's post gives no headcount or dates.

Microsoft's post doesn't name the teams taking part. CNBC says some marketing, sales and engineering teams have chosen not to. CNBC and Reuters both link the move to Microsoft's AI spending, with CNBC saying the company is balancing a costly AI infrastructure build-out with capital efficiency. CNBC notes it follows a voluntary retirement programme announced in April and plans to cut 4,800 jobs announced in July.