Google expands voluntary severance program to five countries

Google is expanding its voluntary severance program to employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, aiming to cut costs and redirect resources to AI. The program offers severance packages including up to 12 months' salary in Switzerland.

Google is expanding its voluntary retirement programs to five additional countries: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, in an effort to reduce operational costs and redirect resources to developing artificial intelligence infrastructure. The packages include compensation of one month's salary per year of tenure, up to 12 months in Switzerland. Employees in the cloud and DeepMind divisions are excluded from the program. Israel is not included at this stage, but local employees are watching with concern. The move reflects a broader trend in Silicon Valley, similar to Microsoft's departure program for 60,000 employees.