Microsoft’s Voluntary Exit Offer Could Cover 60,000 Employees Worldwide

Microsoft’s voluntary exit offer (VEO), announced for employees below the vice-president level, is estimated to cover around 60,000 employees worldwide. Although Microsoft has approximately 23,000 employees in India, the company has not disclosed how many Indian staff members have received the offer. Employees have also raised concerns about what could happen to those who do not apply by the December 1 deadline. According to the report, the offer has reached employees across several divisions, including Cloud and AI, Microsoft AI, Finance, Human Resources, Azure, Gaming, and Windows and Devices. Specialists in certain critical teams, including Security Services, Marketing, EncapS and Microsoft Discovery, have reportedly been excluded.

The reported compensation terms differ between the United States and India. In the US, eligible employees are reportedly being offered compensation based on their years of service, capped at ten months of base salary, along with continued stock benefits for up to six months and health insurance provisions. In India, employees are reportedly eligible for stock benefits only until their departure, while the details of health insurance coverage remain unclear. The development has also raised concerns among Indian professionals working in the US on H-1B visas, who may need to find another sponsoring employer or change their immigration status within the applicable period if they lose their jobs. The report also highlights Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ concerns that AI-driven automation could displace workers, reduce government revenue and contribute to social instability.