Microsoft will launch its first-ever voluntary departure programme in the company's 51-year history, targeting roughly 7% of its US workforce — about 8,700 people — according to CNBC, cited by Les Echos. The company employs around 125,000 staff in the United States and 228,000 worldwide. Unlike the waves of forced lay-offs Microsoft ran in previous years, this plan lets eligible employees opt in voluntarily.
Eligibility is tied to a combined age-plus-tenure threshold of 70 (for example a 50-year-old with 20 years at the company qualifies), and reaches up to the senior director level. Employees were notified on Thursday; detailed terms will be announced on 7 May. Amy Coleman, EVP and Chief People Officer, framed the scheme as giving "eligible people the choice to take the next step on their own terms, with the generous support of the company".
Separately, Microsoft is overhauling executive compensation: bonuses and stock grants will be decoupled, giving more flexibility to reward performance, and the rating grid will compress from nine tiers to five. The move comes the same week Meta confirmed about 8,000 lay-offs. In France, Microsoft plans to cut 180 positions — with the real net impact estimated at 75 to 100 jobs after vacancies and internal mobility. Source: Les Echos, 24 April 2026, Claude Fouquet.