Google expands voluntary exit offers to five countries amid rising AI spending

Google has expanded its voluntary employee exit programme to five more countries as its parent company, Alphabet, looks to rein in rising costs while continuing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI).

The technology giant confirmed that it began offering voluntary exit packages to some employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland in June this year. The latest expansion is part of Google's broader efforts to restructure its workforce and redirect resources towards business areas considered critical to its future growth.

According to a Reuters report, the company has not disclosed how many employees were offered the packages or how many have accepted them. The latest round of offers had not previously been reported.

A Google spokesperson said some teams had introduced voluntary exit programmes with severance packages in 2025 before the initiative was expanded internationally.

"In 2025, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit programme with severance. This past summer, in June, we expanded this programme globally in a few countries to support our important work ahead," the spokesperson said.

Which countries are covered under Google's voluntary exit programme?

The latest expansion covers employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. The offers follow earlier voluntary exit programmes introduced in certain divisions in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Google has described the initiative as an option for employees who no longer feel aligned with the company's pace or direction. The programme allows eligible employees to leave voluntarily in exchange for severance compensation.

However, the offers do not appear to cover all divisions. Google Cloud and DeepMind, the company's artificial intelligence research unit, were excluded from previous voluntary exit programmes. The latest expansion appears to follow a similar approach, with the company continuing to prioritise hiring in AI and cloud computing.

Google has not provided details of the eligibility criteria or the severance terms applicable to employees in all five countries.

How much severance pay are Google employees being offered?

Some details of the voluntary exit packages have emerged from Switzerland, where Google has around 5,000 employees and operates a major engineering centre in Zurich.

According to people familiar with the matter, the programme covered multiple divisions in the country but excluded DeepMind.

Google announced the packages in mid-June and gave employees until mid-July to respond to the offers. Employees who accepted began leaving the company in August.

Under the reported arrangement in Switzerland, eligible employees received one month's salary for every year of service, subject to a maximum payout of 12 months' salary.

At least four employees from one team of approximately 50 reportedly accepted the offer, although the overall number of employees who opted for voluntary departures remains unclear.

The terms of the packages in Canada, France, Germany and Japan have not been publicly disclosed.

Alphabet shifts resources towards AI and cloud computing

The expansion comes as Alphabet faces increasing pressure to manage its expenses amid substantial investments in artificial intelligence. The company has been directing significant resources towards developing AI infrastructure, products and computing capabilities as competition in the sector intensifies.

Alphabet's workforce has continued to grow in recent quarters, even as the company seeks to shift employees and resources towards areas it considers strategic priorities.

Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi has repeatedly identified AI and cloud computing as key hiring priorities during the company's quarterly earnings presentations.

The voluntary exit programme reflects an effort to manage workforce costs in certain business divisions while retaining and expanding teams working on technologies expected to drive future growth.

The growing expenditure on AI has also raised concerns among investors about the returns technology companies will generate from their investments. The concerns have weighed on Alphabet's stock performance.

Google follows wider technology industry restructuring

Google's move comes amid a broader trend of workforce restructuring across the global technology industry, with companies attempting to balance rising operational costs against investments in artificial intelligence.

Microsoft recently announced a voluntary buyout programme that could cover approximately 60,000 employees, or around 27 per cent of its global workforce, as it looks to contain expenses while increasing investments in AI.

Google's latest initiative also follows previous voluntary exit offers in parts of its US and UK operations. In some instances, voluntary departure programmes have been followed by additional workforce reductions.

The company has also undertaken job cuts in the past. In Switzerland, Google laid off more than 200 employees in 2023, triggering protests and a walkout by staff.

While Google continues to expand its AI and cloud operations, the latest voluntary exit programme highlights how the technology giant is attempting to reshape its workforce and control costs as it competes in an increasingly expensive AI race.