Google is offering voluntary buyouts for employees in its UK offices, Business Insider has learned.
An email went out to UK staff this week offering them a voluntary exit package, according to two people familiar with the matter and confirmed by a Google spokesperson.
It’s unclear which UK organizations the offers went to, or how many buyouts were offered. Google did not respond when asked for comment about this.
“Earlier this year, some of our US teams introduced a voluntary exit programme with severance for U.S.-based Googlers, and we are now also offering the programme in the UK to support our important work ahead,” the Google spokesperson said.
“We are committed to investment in the UK and continue to hire for critical roles and important projects aligned with our company priorities to ensure we can deliver on the opportunity that AI offers the UK economy,” they added.
The voluntary buyouts are the latest example of Big Tech firms finding ways to reduce head count this year to become more efficient, flatten management structures, and lean into AI. Companies such as Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have announced layoffs, while Microsoft has also offered some employees money to leave.
The exact package being offered by Google in the UK would depend on how long the employee had worked at the company, staff were told. Google employs more than 7,000 people in the UK, according to its own figures.
Google has offered voluntary buyouts across various parts of its US business this year, including its Android and Core engineering orgs. Much of the framing of these has been about how Google is reorienting its company around AI, and that it wants employees who aren’t excited about that goal to feel like they can leave.
In October, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan offered employees a voluntary exit package as part of a reorganization around AI priorities, according to a memo seen by Business Insider.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time at YouTube and many opportunities and challenges lie ahead. But we also understand some of you may be ready for a new challenge, so we’ve decided now is the right time to offer a Voluntary Exit Program,” Mohan wrote.
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