Microsoft offers 'buyouts' to 60,000 staff including UK workers

Microsoft is offering voluntary severance packages to 60,000 of its staff - more than a quarter of its workforce - including some in the UK.

Key divisions including AI experiences, finance and human resources will be impacted but the Reuters news agency reported that marketing, commercial business and security would not be touched.

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The news, which first came to light in an apparent leak to Business Insider, was revealed to workers in a blog post.

"This (buyout) offer ‌will be available to eligible employees in participating teams in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and ⁠the United States at level ​70 and below," Microsoft ​said.

"This is a time-limited, voluntary program that gives those who are eligible the opportunity to leave Microsoft with financial support and career planning resources", the company's chief people officer Amy Coleman explained.

She added: "Eligible employees will receive an email with a link to their Voluntary Exit Offer details within the next few hours".

The development follows 4,800 job losses announced in the summer amid a "reset" of its Xbox gaming unit and shift towards AI tools.

It is understood the company has more than 220,000 workers across the world, with approximately 6,000 in the UK.

It was not clear how many people Microsoft was aiming to lose, or whether there was even a target.

Microsoft's UK press operation had no details to add to what was in the blog on the numbers to be receiving the offer in this country.

(c) Sky News 2026: Microsoft offers 'buyouts' to 60,000 staff including UK workers