Microsoft Offers Voluntary Exit to Around 60,000 Staff, Including UK Teams

The package is described as roughly equivalent to standard severance, with base pay linked to tenure and level, continued stock vesting, healthcare for a fixed period and career transition support. Eligible employees have until the first week of December to decide. According to TechPowerUp, Coleman said the offer gives eligible employees a new choice to make that transition now with support.

Not all teams are taking part. Sales and some engineering and corporate groups are excluded. TechPowerUp noted it was unclear whether Xbox is included. Microsoft has said the programme is not a sign that it needs fewer people and is not a replacement for layoffs, which it has not ruled out.

TechPowerUp reported that the earlier spring Voluntary Retirement Program saw about 30% of roughly 8,750 eligible US employees accept, and that Coleman later said it reduced the scale of the July layoffs, which affected around 4,800 workers.

The redesigned right-click menu reaches Windows Insiders in the Beta channel, letting users trim and rearrange the entries that appear.