As technology companies reassess their workforce priorities amid growing investments in artificial intelligence, Google has extended its voluntary employee exit programme to 5 countries. The move is part of the company’s efforts to manage rising costs while redirecting resources towards key growth areas, including AI and cloud computing.
The company confirmed that it began offering voluntary exit packages in June to selected employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. The latest expansion comes as Alphabet, Google’s parent company, faces increasing expenditure on AI development.
The number of employees who have accepted the latest offers remains unclear.
A Google spokesperson said, “In 2025, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance,” and added, “This past summer, in June, we expanded this program globally in a few countries to support our important work ahead.”
Google shifts resources towards AI and cloud computing
The workforce changes come amid rising AI investments that have raised concerns among investors and affected Alphabet’s stock price. Google’s workforce has continued to grow in recent quarters, but the company is looking to redirect resources towards priority business areas.
Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi has repeatedly identified AI and cloud computing as major hiring priorities during quarterly earnings presentations.
The company had previously introduced voluntary exit programmes for employees in certain divisions across the US and the UK. Executives have described these offers as an option for employees who may no longer align with the company’s pace or direction.
However, in at least 1 instance, a voluntary exit programme for a division was followed by layoffs. Employees in Google Cloud and its AI research unit, DeepMind, have been excluded from earlier buyout offers. The latest expansion appears to follow a similar approach.
Switzerland programme offers up to 12 months of salary
In Switzerland, where Google employs approximately 5,000 people and operates a major engineering centre in Zurich, the programme reportedly covered multiple divisions but excluded DeepMind.
Employees began leaving in August after the offers were announced in mid-June. Those who applied received responses by mid-July. Eligible employees who accepted the offer were entitled to 1 month’s salary for every year of service, subject to a maximum payout of 12 months.
According to 1 person familiar with the programme, at least 4 employees from a team of approximately 50 accepted the offer.
The latest development follows Google’s workforce reduction in Switzerland in 2023, when the company laid off more than 200 employees, leading to staff protests and a walkout.
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