Microsoft plans first-ever voluntary buyout for more than 8,000 employees in the US; The memorandum told them: Our hope is that…
Microsoft is planning its first voluntary employee buyout in the company’s 51-year history. According to a memo, Microsoft is offering voluntary retirement to thousands of its employees in the US. Microsoft has never made a purchase on this scale before. According to the report, about 7% of Microsoft’s workforce in the US will be eligible for the buyout. As of June 2025, the company had 228,000 employees, of which 125,000 were in the US, which would make about 8,750 employees eligible for the program.
Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the buyout in a memo to employees.
The offer was announced to employees through a memo from Vice President and Chief People Officer Amy Coleman. “Our hope is that this program gives eligible individuals the option to take the next step on their own terms with the company’s generous support,” Coleman wrote in the memo.According to the memorandum, employees eligible for the buyout include those whose years of service and the sum of their age are 70 or more. The lump sum retirement program does not include some senior roles or sales incentive plans. Eligible employees and their managers will receive details on May 7.
Additional changes announced in buyout memo
Microsoft is also reportedly adjusting the way it distributes stock to employees for annual awards. The company will no longer directly link stock to cash bonuses to managers. That way, “managers have more flexibility to meaningfully recognize high performance,” Coleman wrote in the memo.Microsoft is also simplifying the review process for managers, so they can choose from five salary options for employees instead of nine.
Microsoft will redesign Windows 11
In other news, Microsoft is improving Windows 11 by removing outdated UI elements to provide a consistent modern design across the entire operating system. The initiative is said to target legacy components, including installation screens, remnants of Windows 8-era dialogs, and various Control Panel interfaces. These are being refreshed with the current WinUI framework for better visual consistency. In a statement, Microsoft said, “Our goal as we move forward is to be more open when we build Windows, make sure you feel like you’re included throughout the entire lifecycle of the process of making our products, and then make sure this is a vibrant community and we’re grateful for the chance to spend some time with all of you.”