October 27, 2026
Microsoft has introduced a voluntary exit offer that could make approximately 60,000 employees eligible to leave the company with financial support, according to reporting by The Associated Press. The programme covers participating teams in India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief people officer, announced the Voluntary Exit Offer (VEO) on October 26 through the company’s official blog. The initiative is designed to provide eligible employees with an option to transition out of the company while allowing participating business units to adjust their workforces to changing requirements.
According to the Associated Press, the approximately 60,000 potentially eligible employees represent about 27% of Microsoft’s global workforce. The company had approximately 223,000 full-time employees at the end of June.
Eligibility Depends on Business Unit
Microsoft said the offer is available to eligible employees at internal job level 70 and below in participating organisations across the four countries. The programme is voluntary and time-limited, and participation will vary according to individual organisations’ business priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs.
Eligible employees are being notified by email and will receive details of their individual offers. Microsoft said the programme includes financial support and career-planning resources for employees who choose to leave.
The company has not announced a single payout amount applicable to all employees in its public statement.
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Follows Earlier Voluntary Retirement Programme
The new initiative builds on Microsoft’s Voluntary Retirement Program introduced earlier in 2026. The company said the latest offer reflects its efforts to provide greater flexibility for employees while adapting to changing organisational needs.
Microsoft has been expanding its artificial intelligence and cloud-computing businesses while continuing to adjust its operations. However, the company has not identified AI investment as the direct cause of the new voluntary exit programme.
The announcement comes ahead of Microsoft’s scheduled quarterly financial results on October 28, which investors will be watching for updates on the company’s business performance and investment plans.
