Google's parent company, Alphabet, expanded its voluntary redundancy program to new countries this year as the tech giant seeks to rein in rising costs amid massive investments in artificial intelligence.
Google's parent company, Alphabet, expanded its voluntary redundancy program to new countries this year as the tech giant seeks to rein in rising costs amid massive investments in artificial intelligence.
The company confirmed to Reuters that it has begun offering voluntary redundancy packages to some employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland starting in June 2026.
“In 2025, some of our teams implemented a voluntary exit program with compensation payments,” a Google spokesperson said. “Last summer, in June, we expanded this program to several new countries to support the implementation of our priorities.”
It is not yet known how many employees have agreed to the new terms. The company's top management describes the program as an option for those professionals who no longer feel in sync with the pace or direction of Google's development.
Analysts say the cost-cutting program comes amid record spending on AI infrastructure that has Wall Street worried. Other players are taking similar steps: Microsoft recently offered voluntary redundancy options to 60,000 of its employees.
According to available information, the program affected offices in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland (previously similar conditions were offered to individual divisions in the USA and Great Britain). Employees were offered a payment in the amount of one month's salary for each year worked at the company (maximum - up to 12 salaries).
The program does not apply to key areas. Employees of Google Cloud and the DeepMind artificial intelligence laboratory are not subject to voluntary redundancy offers.
Alphabet CFO Anat Ashkenazi has repeatedly emphasized during quarterly reports that artificial intelligence and cloud computing are the top hiring priorities. So the company is redistributing resources: reducing staff in traditional areas, leaving room for attracting talent in the field of AI.
However, insiders note that in some units, after the end of accepting applications for voluntary departure, Google subsequently carried out a wave of forced layoffs.
