Google is offering voluntary buyouts to employees at its UK office, Business Insider reported.
A Google spokesperson said an email was sent to UK staff this week offering a voluntary severance package, two people familiar with the matter confirmed.
It is unclear which UK organizations the offers were sent to or how many buyouts were offered. Google did not respond to a request for comment on this matter.
A Google spokesperson said: “Earlier this year, some of our US teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance benefits for US-based Googlers, and we’re now offering this program in the UK to support the important work ahead.”
“We are committed to investing in the UK and continue to recruit for key roles and key projects that align with our priorities to ensure we can deliver on the opportunities that AI offers to the UK economy.”
The voluntary acquisition is the latest example of Big Tech companies looking for ways to reduce headcounts this year, increase efficiency, flatten management structures and lean toward AI. Companies such as Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have announced layoffs, and Microsoft is also offering severance packages to some employees.
The exact package offered by Google in the UK depends on how long the employee has worked for the company, staffers said. Google employs more than 7,000 people in the UK, according to Google’s own statistics.
Google made voluntary acquisition offers this year in various parts of its U.S. business, including Android and its core engineering organization. A lot of these frameworks were about how Google was reorienting the company around AI, and how they wanted employees who weren’t excited about that goal to feel like they could leave.
YouTube CEO Neil Mohan offered employees voluntary severance packages in October as part of an organizational restructuring to prioritize AI, according to a memo obtained by Business Insider.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for YouTube, with many opportunities and challenges ahead. But we also know that some people may be ready for a new challenge, so we decided now is the right time to offer a voluntary exit program,” Mohan wrote.
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