Microsoft Voluntary Retirement: First-Ever Buyout Program Offered To US Employees—Know Rewards And Eligibility Criteria

US based tech giant Microsoft is planning its first voluntary employee buyout in the company’s 51-year history. According to a memo, the company is offering voluntary retirement to thousands of its employees in the United States. The company has never previously done buyouts on this scale. 

According to media reports, about 7 per cent of the company’s workforce in the US will be eligible for buyouts. As of June 2025, the company has a workforce of 2,28,000 employees with 1,25.000 in the US, which means around 8,750 employees are eligible for the voluntary retirement program. 

 Microsoft Rolls Out Generous Retirement Package for Eligible Staff

The program was announced to employees through a memo from vice president and chief people officer Amy Coleman. Coleman wrote in the memo that “Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support” 

 According to the released memo, employees eligible for the buyout consists of personnel whose year of service plus their age totals 70 or more. The one-time retirement program excludes some senior roles or those on sales incentive plans. Eligible employees and their managers will receive details on 7th May. 

Stock, Bonuses, and a Simpler Review System — Microsoft Revamps How It Rewards Employees

The company is also reportedly adjusting the way it doles out stock to employees for annual rewards. The company will no longer make managers tie stock directly to cash bonuses. 

The memo describes that this way “managers have more flexibility to meaningfully recognise high performance” 

The company is also simplifying the review process for managers, so they can choose from five pay options for employees instead of nine. 

Microsoft Gives Windows 11 a Modern Makeover

Some of the media reports claim that the company is revamping Windows 11 by removing legacy UI elements to deliver a consistent modern design across the entire OS. This initiative is said to target outdated components consisting of installation screens, remnants of Windows 8-era dialogs, and various Control Panel interfaces. 

These are being refreshed with the current WinUI framework for enhanced visual consistency. In a statement, the company said “Our goal as we go forward is to be more open as we build Windows, make sure you feel like you are included in the entire lifecycle of our product making process, and then make sure this is a vibrant community and we are just grateful for a chance to get some time with you all” 

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