Google expands voluntary buyout program across several countries as AI costs rise

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Google expands buyout program

Highlights

Google expanded its voluntary buyout program with severance to employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland starting June 2024.
Alphabet is increasing cost controls amid higher AI spending, which has pressured Wall Street and weighed on its stock in recent quarters.
In Switzerland, Google offered up to 12 months' salary in severance, received mid-July responses, and saw exits begin in August, excluding DeepMind staff.

International expansion of the buyout program

As reported by Reuters, Google confirmed that it began offering voluntary exit packages in June to some employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. A company spokesperson said some teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance in 2025, and that the program expanded this past summer in a few countries to support the company’s work ahead.

Reuters could not determine how many employees have accepted the latest round of offers, which had not previously been reported. The latest move follows voluntary exit programs offered since last year to employees in some divisions in the U.S. and Britain, which executives have described as an option for workers who no longer feel aligned with the company’s pace or direction.

In at least one earlier case, Google followed voluntary offers in a division with layoffs. Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi has repeatedly identified AI and cloud computing as key hiring priorities in quarterly earnings presentations, and employees in Google Cloud and DeepMind have been excluded from past buyout offers.

Cost pressure and implications for Switzerland

Alphabet is seeking to redirect resources toward priority areas even as its workforce has continued to grow in recent quarters. The company’s higher AI spending has unsettled Wall Street and weighed on its stock, increasing pressure to contain costs while preserving investment in strategic businesses.

In Switzerland, where Google employs about 5,000 people and runs a major engineering hub in Zurich, three people familiar with the matter said the program covers multiple divisions but excludes DeepMind. They said Google announced the packages in mid-June, requested responses by mid-July and saw employees begin leaving in August.

Staff who accepted the offer in Switzerland received one month’s salary for each year of service, up to a maximum of 12 months, the people said. One person said at least four employees in a team of about 50 accepted the package; Google had also laid off more than 200 employees in Switzerland in 2023, prompting protests and a walkout.

Wipro’s better-than-expected quarterly revenue highlighted steadier client spending in overseas markets, led by a pickup in Europe after a period of tighter tech budgets. Our publication previously noted that AI-related services are becoming a growing source of new revenue for major IT providers alongside traditional outsourcing work, signaling how AI investment is reshaping demand across the sector.

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