Should 60K Microsoft workers take the buyout and run? How to know when you should nab a package, or turn it down

But is it the right move?

Why companies offer voluntary buyouts

Voluntary buyouts can reduce the need for — or size of — layoffs, which can be good for companies that want to avoid the stress and stigma of laying off employees.

For employees, they can provide several benefits. First, some employees may already be looking at their options and considering leaving. Second, some employees who receive buyout offers might feel that they won’t have a difficult time finding a new position elsewhere. And third, employees who want to stay at the company might be less likely to be laid off in the future if enough of their colleagues take the deal.

Microsoft’s voluntary buyoff offer is notable for its scope, though. The company is extending buyout offers to up to 60,000 employees out of around 223,000 total employees. In other words, the company is hoping to cut up to 25% of its staff across various teams.

Microsoft, which declined to comment on this story, has had multiple layoffs this year, including cutting 4,800 jobs in July 2026.

Before taking a buyout offer at any company, it’s important to assess your current financial outlook and what you anticipate from the future of the company.

How to decide whether to accept a buyout offer

If you receive a buyout offer, the two biggest factors to consider are your financial situation and the future of your job, says Malik S. Lee, CFP and managing principal at Felton & Peel Wealth Management.

“There’s a lot of moving parts,” he told Moneywise. “How much you should have in reserves, whether you have a spouse or significant other or life partner that’s helping with taking care of some of those expenses, should things go longer than expected.”