Big Tech
Business Insider1 day ago
0

Here's what Microsoft is offering laid-off employees in severance

AI

Microsoft is offering laid-off US employees up to 39 weeks of base pay in severance, following plans to cut 4,800 jobs. The package includes health insurance and stock vesting, similar to earlier voluntary buyouts.

Here's what Microsoft is offering laid-off employees in severance

Intelligence Insights

Context + impact, normalized for TechCulture.

The Big Picture
Microsoft announced layoffs of about 4,800 employees, or 2.1% of its global workforce, primarily affecting sales and Xbox gaming divisions. The severance package for most US employees includes a minimum of 60 days of base pay, up to a maximum of 39 weeks based on seniority and tenure. Employees at levels 64 and below receive one week of base pay per six months of service, while levels 65 to 67 receive two weeks per six months. The package also includes continued stock vesting for six or 12 months for levels 67 and below, six months of paid health insurance, and optional COBRA coverage. These terms are similar to Microsoft's earlier voluntary retirement program, though with shorter health insurance coverage. The layoffs are part of cost-cutting measures as Microsoft plans $190 billion in capital expenditures this year, largely for AI infrastructure. Compared to other tech companies, Microsoft's severance appears more generous than Salesforce's (max 30 weeks), Oracle's (max 26 weeks), and Meta's (16 weeks plus extra).
Why It Matters
Microsoft's severance package, offering up to 39 weeks of pay, sets a new benchmark in the tech industry, surpassing competitors like Salesforce and Meta. This move reflects the company's effort to maintain employee goodwill amid massive layoffs while redirecting billions toward AI infrastructure, signaling a strategic pivot that prioritizes long-term AI investments over short-term workforce stability.

Deepen your understanding

Use our AI to break down complex signals.

Select an AI action to generate more depth.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images

  • Microsoft is offering up to 39 weeks of severance to most laid-off US employees.
  • The company on Monday announced plans to lay off around 4,800 employees.
  • The severance offer is similar to Microsoft's recent voluntary retirement buyout program.

Microsoft is offering laid-off US employees up to 39 weeks' base pay for most US employees, according to severance offers reviewed by Business Insider.

Microsoft on Monday announced plans to lay off around 4,800 employees, or 2.1% of its global workforce, confirming Business Insider's earlier report.

The US severance package includes a minimum of 60 days of base pay, during which employees will remain on the payroll, up to a maximum of 39 weeks of base pay for most employees, based on seniority and tenure.

Employees at internal levels 64 and below will receive one week of base pay per six months of service, and employees at levels 65 to 67 will receive two weeks of base pay per six months of service. There's a separate package for executives levels 68 and higher.

The company is also offering continued regular stock vesting for six or 12 months for levels 67 and below, based on years of service, and six months of paid health insurance coverage plus an additional 12 months of optional COBRA coverage.

Those terms are similar to those the company offered earlier this year in its Voluntary Retirement Program buyouts, according to a document viewed by Business Insider, except that the layoffs include shorter health insurance coverage durations.

The layoffs come as Microsoft cuts costs and plans significant spending, including $190 billion in capital expenditures this year, primarily related to its AI infrastructure buildout.

The cuts mostly impact the sales and Xbox gaming organizations, Microsoft chief people officer Amy Coleman wrote in an email to employees. Microsoft's Xbox division also plans to cut 20% of its workforce by the end of June.

A maximum of 39 weeks of severance appears more generous than offers from some competing tech companies.

Salesforce, which recently conducted layoffs, has a standard severance package of a minimum of nine weeks and a maximum of 30 weeks of base pay. Oracle offered laid-off US employees four weeks' base salary, plus one week per additional year of employment, up to 26 weeks, as severance.

Meta, meanwhile, recently offered laid-off US employees a severance package including 16 weeks — or four months — in base pay, plus two weeks for every year of continuous employment.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at astewart@businessinsider.com or Signal at +1-425-344-8242. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Big Tech Microsoft Layoffs Tech Industry Severance

Intelligence Exchange

0

Log in to participate in the exchange.

Sign In

Syncing Discussions...

Finding Related Intelligence...