The Voluntary Exit Offer covers eligible staff at level 70 and below in participating teams in the US, Canada, India and the UK, about a quarter of the workforce, with terms Microsoft says match its standard severance.
Microsoft on Monday introduced a Voluntary Exit Offer for eligible employees in participating organisations in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States at level 70 and below, chief people officer Amy Coleman said in a memo published on the company’s blog. About 60,000 people are eligible, Microsoft told GeekWire and TechCrunch, or roughly a quarter of its workforce of about 223,000. Coleman wrote that the offer “gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support.” Some organisations are participating and some are not. Microsoft told GeekWire the package is equivalent to its standard severance, with no age or tenure requirement, and that it expects a much smaller share to accept than the roughly 30% who took its earlier voluntary retirement offer. Employees have until early December to decide, and those who accept leave on 31 December, CNBC reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Sources: Microsoft · GeekWire · TechCrunch · CNBC