Google offers voluntary exit packages to employees as company ramps up AI strategy

Google is reportedly offering voluntary exit packages to certain employees as part of a broader strategic shift. The move comes as the tech giant sharpens its focus on artificial intelligence and long-term growth.

According to a Business Insider report dated 10 February 2026, the company has begun extending severance offers to specific teams within its global business organisation (GBO), as quoted in a report.

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Why is Google offering voluntary exit packages?

As reported, Google’s chief business officer Philipp Schindler informed staff in a memo that some employees in the GBO division may leave with a severance package.

“We're starting the year in a strong position thanks to everything you accomplished in 2025,” Schindler said in the memo cited in the report. “But the game is dynamic, the pace is electric, and the stakes are high.”

The voluntary exit packages are aimed at employees who may not align with the company’s current pace or direction. Schindler noted that every member of the GBO team needs to be “all in” on the company’s mission, particularly as it works to embrace “AI to have even greater impact.”

He added that the offer is being extended to those who are not “enjoying the pace we need to operate in” or who are “ready to move on from Google.”

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Which teams are likely to be affected?

The report states that the exits are expected to impact certain roles within the GBO teams in the United States. This includes employees working in solutions teams, sales, corporate development and other related roles.

However, not every function within the GBO will be eligible for the voluntary exit programme. “While all GBO functions are essential to our long-term strategy, we've decided not to offer VEP for these particular roles to limit as much disruption to our customers as possible,” Schindler said, as cited in the report.

The company has not yet issued a formal public statement, and an update is expected if it does.

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Has Google made similar moves before?

This is not the first time Google has offered voluntary exit packages. Over the past year, the company extended buyout offers to some US-based employees during its enforcement of a stricter return-to-office mandate.

In October 2025, CNBC reported that Google laid off 100 employees in design-related roles as part of its wider AI push. Those cuts reportedly affected staff in “quantitative user experience research” and “platform and service experience” teams, with employees notified by email, as quoted in a report.

Earlier in 2025, CEO Sundar Pichai also offered voluntary exit packages across several US-based units while reducing one-third of manager roles as part of efforts to integrate AI tools more deeply into workflows.

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FAQs

Why is Google offering exit packages?
The company is aligning its workforce with its long-term strategy and stronger focus on artificial intelligence.

Which employees are affected by the voluntary exit programme?
Certain roles within the US-based global business organisation, including solutions, sales and corporate development teams.