Google Offers Voluntary Exit Packages To Employees Not 'Embracing' AI

Amid the ongoing mass layoffs in the tech sector, Google has offered voluntary exit packages (VEP) to some employees in its business unit. In an email sent to Google employees, called Googlers, on Tuesday (Feb 10), chief business officer, Philipp Schindler, informed that certain teams with the global business organisation (GBO) could voluntarily leave the company with a severance package.

Schindler emphasised the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) moving forward and told everyone in GBO needed to be "all in" and "embracing" AI to have an even greater impact. He added that despite 2025 being a successful year, the company was pushing for higher intensity this year.

"We're starting the year in a strong position thanks to everything you accomplished in 2025, but the game is dynamic, the pace is electric, and the stakes are high," Schindler wrote in the memo, as accessed by Business Insider.

Schindler told staff that if they weren't "enjoying" the current speed of operations or were "ready to move on," they could opt for the buyout. Employees working on solutions teams, sales, corporate development, and others have been offered VEP, while customer sales teams and other customer-facing roles are not eligible for the programme.

"While all GBO functions are essential to our long-term strategy, we've decided not to offer VEP for these particular roles to limit as much disruption to our customers as possible," wrote Schindler.

It remains unclear at this stage how much severance pay Google is offering with the buyout offer. However, last year, CNBC stated that Google offered employees in some organisations at least 14 weeks' pay plus one additional week for every full year of service as part of a separate buyout.

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Why Buyouts?

Employee buyouts offer a voluntary alternative to mass layoffs, helping companies reduce headcount with less reputational damage. This approach lowers the risk of legal challenges and bypasses certain regulatory notice requirements, such as those mandated for mass layoffs in the US.

This is not the first instance in which Google has offered voluntary exit to workers. In June last year, employees at Google's Knowledge and Information and central engineering teams were offered the option as the company aimed to streamline its workforce. In October, it offered buyouts to YouTube employees as part of a reorganisation.