Facebook employees in many groups in the US have been offered volunteer buyouts as part of an ongoing effort to reduce staff, according to different reports.
” Earlier this year, some of our team introduced a voluntary return program with compensation for U. S. based Googlers, and several more are now offering the software to support our important job ahead”, according to Google director Courtnay Mencini, as quoted by The Associated Press.
It’s not publicly known how many employees are impacted by this latest round, but the affected divisions include Knowledge and Information ( K&, I ), Engineering, Marketing, Research, and Communications. K&, I, which houses Google’s research, advertising, and business groups, comprises 20, 000 people.
It’s reported that Google executive Nick Fox, who spearheads the K&, I division, sent out a memo Tuesday saying that the merger is” …a friendly exit route for those of you who don’t feel aligned with our plan, don’t feel energized by your job, or are having trouble meeting the objectives of your part”.
Google is not the only tech company looking to reduce its workforce, in May, Microsoft announced plans to lay off 3 % of its global workforce to streamline operations.
Certain teams at Google are requiring that remote staff living within 50 miles of an office go back to in-person work on a hybrid work schedule, the company confirmed to CNBC. The goal is to bring more people together in person, according to Mencini.
Google’s previous buyouts
Google has done periodic buyouts since laying off 12, 000 employees in 2023.
For instance, in January 2025, US employees in the company’s hardware unit, which includes Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Google Photos, Google One, and Pixel devices, were offered the option to apply for buyouts.
The following month, employees in Google’s HR department were also offered voluntary buyouts, and more are expected in the company’s legal and finance teams this year, according to CNBC.
Alphabet CEO: AI will be an’ accelator’ and will not replace workers
The latest buyout offers come as Sunar Pinchai, chief executive officer of Google’s parent company Alphabet, said earlier this month that AI won’t take jobs away at the company. AI will be an “accelerator” that enhances worker productivity and will not replace them, Pinchai said. Google expects to increase its engineering headcount in the next year, he added.
Last October, senior VP and CFO of Google and Alphabet Anat Ashkenazi said that driving more cost-cutting would be one of her top priorities as Google increased investments in AI infrastructure in 2025.
A report from Orgvue published in May 2025 revealed that more than half of the companies that have laid off staff due to investments in AI have since regretted the decision.
Read more at TechRepublic: Google to Reduce Bonuses for Underperforming Staff Under New Rewards Framework
