Microsoft Offers Voluntary Buyouts, Tweaks Stock Rewards

0:00It's April 23rd, U.S. News Today starts now, AI-powered and nationwide. I'm Cory with the story. Microsoft has dropped some big news on its workforce, launching its first voluntary buyout program in the company's 51-year history. This one's aimed at U.S. employees at the senior director level and below, but only if they're aged plus years on the job, add up to 70 or more. They're tweaking how they hand out stock rewards, too. Starting the direct link between managers' cash bonuses and stock grants to mix things up a bit. No word yet on reactions from workers, but this comes as tech giants keep reshaping teams amid economic shifts, potentially easing headcount, without forced layoffs. The details leaked via a company memo, according to reports, and those with sales incentive plans get left out of the buyout mix. As Microsoft stays quiet on comment request, keep an eye on how this plays out for their talent pool moving forward.