Google has expanded its voluntary employee buyout programme to five countries as the technology giant restructures its workforce and redirects resources towards artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing.
The programme, rolled out in June 2025, covers employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. It offers eligible workers financial incentives to leave the company voluntarily as Google seeks to streamline operations and control costs amid increasing investments in emerging technologies.
Under the scheme, employees in Switzerland and other affected regions are reportedly eligible for severance payments equivalent to one month's salary for every year of service, capped at a maximum of 12 months' salary. Employees who accepted the offer were expected to begin leaving the company in August 2025.
However, the initiative does not cover Google's entire workforce. It excludes its high-priority divisions, particularly Google Cloud and the AI research unit DeepMind. The move reflects the company's continued focus on strengthening these businesses through investment and recruitment.
Google executives have reportedly positioned the programme as an amicable exit opportunity for employees who may no longer align with the company's evolving priorities and work culture. However, the company has previously followed voluntary departure schemes with formal layoffs in certain divisions.
The move also reflects a broader trend across the technology industry. Microsoft has reportedly extended a large voluntary buyout offer to approximately 60,000 employees across the US, Canada, India and the UK as part of similar cost-control efforts.
As competition in AI intensifies, major technology companies are reassessing workforce requirements and shifting financial resources towards cloud infrastructure and advanced computing.
