https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/04/23/microsoft-plans-first-voluntary-retirement-program-for-us-employees.html
16 replies (most recent on top)
I was in Cisco Systems when they did the voluntary retirement offers... I think it was 2010. You know what happens when you offer accomplished, smart 50+ year olds 3 years of salary and health coverage? They immediately take the offer, take a year off, and then inevitably land a job elsewhere with another few months. Someone didn't do the math, or considered the damage to the company (the stock price at the time reflected that).
I'd love it if HPE does it, but it would be id--tic from a business perspective. The structural issue I observe here is it relies a lot on a few very experienced people, it has a lot of 35-45 years old experienced workers that shall tak over... but it's super hard to hire young talent without much experience to build them up so they can take over.
@1km Don't get squirted on! Homie call HR!
Does Gartner still work here? What a stain.
I hate Gartner, what a doooooooch.
@14b Watch yourself around Gartner. Will party with you and then call HR.
@xk Dr. Gartner is a SEM that came from Gartner and continues to eat, drink, and sleep everything Gartner all day, every day. Gartner! Gartner! Gartner!
@xk I've seen this asked before and will reply as before: "who isn't Dr. Gartner?"
@xk I have no idea but love posting about them.
Who the he-l is this Dr. Gartner that gets name dropped in every post?
Taking the HPE early retirement package was the best thing I ever did. I ended up working for an aerospace company and doubled my HPE salary. My new coworkers were shocked that HPE wanted to get rid of me. Yup, I was taken into a small meeting and encouraged to take the retirement package by somebody who looked like the Crypt Keeper.
Ironically, the term “cooked” is part of that younger generation slang. So I think you’re talking about yourself here.
But truth be told, many companies are pushing out the old and putting in the new. The job market is really looking for individuals who have anywhere from 5 to 10 years of experience. Trainable yet experienced enough to function to some degree.
Layoffs are a spreadsheet exercise: “How much does this person cost and can it be replaced?” Merits are extremely rare nowadays. Corporations focus on the bottom line. It’s like there’s some imaginary science unit of dollar per potential. The lower that ratio is, the less of a risk you are.
@f9 Dr. Gartner will eventually send everyone to HR anyway so lookout!
I wish Dr. Gartner would voluntarily depart. What a downer.
HPE is not going to offer anything to get employees to leave. RTO and other tactics are more than enough to generate no cost separations which seems to be a goal.
I don’t want that to happen. Have you seen the younger talent? They are terrible. HPE will be cooked.
I can only hope