Tech giant Microsoft, which is rapidly investing in the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), has taken a big decision for its employees. The company has offered financial assistance to employees in four countries, including India, in lieu of voluntary job loss. Around 60,000 employees worldwide are eligible for this program. The company’s move comes at a time when it is spending billions of dollars on AI and cloud infrastructure. However, this does not mean that all eligible employees will lose their jobs.
Microsoft announced a voluntary exit offer on Monday. The scheme will be available to employees of select teams in India, US, UK and Canada. Microsoft has around 23,000 employees in India. However, it is not yet clear how many of these employees will be covered by this offer. According to available information, eligible employees in India will have until December 1 to decide whether to accept the offer.
Under this offer of the company, the employees will be provided with financial assistance and career related services upon leaving the job. The package includes one month’s basic salary for each completed year of service, health insurance and career transition assistance. However, this offer is not for all employees. According to Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s chief HR officer, the feature will be available to eligible employees at levels 70 and below in select divisions of the company. Eligible employees will be informed of the terms of the offer by email.
Amy Coleman said the program aims to support employees who are considering careers outside the company. It also gives different departments in the company the option to adjust their workforce and workflow to meet changing needs. The company clarified that the scheme will not be implemented uniformly across all divisions. This decision will be based on business needs, customer commitments and staff availability.
Microsoft is offering voluntary job losses, while also working on a major investment plan in India. The company has committed to invest $20.5 billion in cloud and AI infrastructure, skills training and operations in India from 2025 to 2029. The company also aims to teach AI-related skills to 20 million people in India by 2030. Microsoft has said it will continue to help employees learn new skills and explore other career opportunities within the company.