American multinational corporation, Google, has launched a new round of buyout offers to employees across multiple divisions.
The offers extend to its Knowledge and Information (K&I) and Central Engineering units, as well as the marketing, research, and communications teams.
The latest move is part of an ongoing effort to trim headcount, following waves of job reductions that began with the mass layoff of 12,000 staff in 2023. K&I, which includes the company’s core search, ads, and commerce divisions, employs roughly 20,000 people and underwent a leadership shake-up in October when Nick Fox assumed control.
While the total number of affected employees remains unconfirmed, The Information earlier reported that workers in the search and ads division were among those offered voluntary exit packages.
The new “voluntary exit program” applies to Google’s U.S.-based employees. It coincides with a broader return-to-office push targeting remote workers who live within 50 miles of a company office. These employees are now expected to adopt a hybrid work model “in order to bring folks more together in-person.”
“Earlier this year, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance for U.S.-based Googlers, and several more are now offering the program to support our important work ahead,” Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini wrote in an emailed statement to CNBC.
Fox, in a memo seen by CNBC, encouraged underperforming or disengaged employees to consider the buyout offer, while urging those who are motivated and aligned with the company’s vision to remain.
“I want to be very clear: If you’re excited about your work, energized by the opportunity ahead, and performing well, I really (really!) hope you don’t take this! We have ambitious plans and tons to get done,” Fox wrote.
“On the other hand, this VEP offers a supportive exit path for those of you who don’t feel aligned with our strategy, don’t feel energized by your work, or are having difficulty meeting the expectations of your role.”
The buyouts come as the tech giant plans increased investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure in 2025, prompting a shift in spending priorities.
Google is also revamping its internal learning platform to focus on training staff to use modern AI tools, replacing some of the company’s more optional learning programmes.
Offering buyouts has become a recurring tactic at Google this year. In January, its “Platforms and Devices” unit, which includes employees working on Android, Chrome, and Pixel products, extended buyout options to full-time U.S. workers.
In February, the human resources department, known internally as “People Operations,” made similar offers, followed by Google’s legal and finance teams.
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Mid to senior-level staff who accepted those offers reportedly received severance packages that included up to 14 weeks of salary plus an additional week for each year of service.
In his memo, Fox acknowledged having “been paying close attention” to buyout outcomes in other teams and said his decision was influenced by the positive response those programmes received.
The move also reflects lessons from January 2023, when Google faced criticism over abrupt layoffs that blindsided many employees. Some had their access cut without warning, including high performers and staff on medical or parental leave.
The company’s decision to implement mass cuts while still posting strong earnings led to internal backlash and morale issues, which executives later admitted to.
Earlier this year, some employees welcomed the company’s buyout strategy as a more considerate approach.
“The P&D email portends layoffs, which sucks but offering buyouts first is what we asked for, is the right thing to do,” one employee wrote in an internal forum at the time.
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