Meta Offers Voluntary Exits to Employees, Follows Microsoft and Google

Meta has reportedly offered voluntary exit packages to around 100 employees in France as the Facebook parent joins Microsoft and Google in encouraging workers to leave with financial compensation amid a wider technology industry workforce restructuring.

According to French publication La Lettre, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company is considering a voluntary exit scheme for its French workforce of around 300 employees. The exact roles and departments affected remain unclear.

Unlike Microsoft's and Google's individual buyout programmes, Meta's proposal reportedly follows a collective contractual termination procedure under French labour law. Employees interested in the offer must submit their applications by November 5.

It remains unclear whether Meta plans to extend similar voluntary exit schemes to other countries. The company employs around 66,000 people globally.

Also Read: Meta Platforms begin layoffs affecting 8,000 employees amid AI restructuring

How Meta's Voluntary Exit Scheme Works

Meta's proposed scheme is based on a collective contractual termination procedure, known in France as Rupture Conventionnelle Collective (RCC).

The mechanism allows companies to negotiate voluntary workforce reductions with trade unions. Unlike conventional layoffs, employees choose whether to leave under mutually agreed terms.

According to the report, negotiations over Meta's proposed arrangement have been underway since July.

The company is reportedly offering employees 2.15 months of salary for every year of service. They would also receive 10 months of mobility leave, during which they would be paid 80 per cent of their gross salary.

Meta is also considering additional assistance for employees seeking professional retraining or planning to start their own businesses.

If implemented on the reported terms, the package would rank among the more generous voluntary exit offers in the technology sector.

Meta Had Offered Similar Exit Packages in 2023

This is not the first time Meta has pursued a collective workforce reduction in France.

In 2023, the company reached a collective contractual termination agreement that was expected to result in the departure of 88 employees from its French subsidiary, which then had around 350 workers.

The latest proposal comes as major technology companies reassess their workforce requirements while increasing spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and products.

Google recently extended voluntary exit offers to employees in five countries, including France. Microsoft, meanwhile, announced a buyout programme covering around 60,000 eligible employees in the US, Canada, India and the UK.

Canva also recently announced a substantial severance package for 1,271 employees affected by layoffs. The benefits reportedly included free MacBooks and LinkedIn Premium subscriptions.

AI Push Reshapes Meta's Workforce

Meta's reported exit plan comes amid a broader workforce restructuring. In April, the company announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs, around 10% of its global workforce, and later reassigned 7,000 employees to AI-related roles.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said AI allows smaller teams to handle projects that previously required more people. Meta expects to spend $135 billion to $145 billion in 2026, primarily on AI infrastructure and data centres, while expanding its personal AI agents through the Muse initiative.

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