Google Rolls Out Voluntary Exit Scheme for Workers Not Aligned with AI Vision

Google has provided some employees in its business unit with voluntary exit packages (VEPs) in light of the continuing wave of layoffs in the IT industry. A severance payout is available to some teams within the global business organisation (GBO) if they choose to voluntarily quit the company, according to an email addressed to Google employees (Googlers) by chief business officer Philipp Schindler on February 10.

Artificial intelligence (AI) was a key point for Schindler's presentation. If GBO wanted to make an even bigger splash, he claimed, it had to go "all in" and "embrace" AI. Even though 2025 was a good year, he continued, the company was aiming for even greater intensity this year.

Schindler’s Memo to Googlers

According to Schindler's memo, Google is off to a fantastic start this year as a result of all employees' hard work in 2025. The action is heating up, the tempo is rapid, and the pressure is on. For employees who weren't "enjoying" the present pace of operations or who were "ready to move on", Schindler offered the buyout as an option.

Many employees have been provided VEP, including those in sales, corporate development, solutions teams, and other departments. Having said that, the programme is not open to positions that directly interact with customers, such as customer sales teams. According to Schindler, Google has chosen not to provide VEP for some GBO services, even though they are all crucial to the company's long-term plan. The goal was to keep the firm's clients as unaffected as possible.

What are Buyouts?

Voluntary alternatives to mass redundancies are provided by employee buyouts. Companies can reduce their workforce through these buyouts with minimal harm to their brand. By using this route, you can avoid certain regulatory notice requirements—like the ones that are in place for big layoffs in the US—and reduce the likelihood of legal challenges.

This isn't the first time Google has given employees the option to leave voluntarily. Google gave the choice to workers on the Knowledge and Information and central engineering teams in June of last year in an effort to reduce headcount. It reorganised YouTube in October and offered buyouts to workers.

Google has not yet disclosed the amount of severance pay that is part of the buyout offer. Nevertheless, according to a report by CNBC last year, Google provided a different buyout to certain businesses' employees that included at least 14 weeks' compensation plus an extra week for every full year of service.