Meta has reportedly offered employees in France an attractive voluntary exit package as the technology giant continues restructuring its workforce while increasing investments in artificial intelligence (AI). Under the proposed scheme, employees opting to leave could receive compensation equivalent to 2.15 months of salary for every year of service, along with up to 10 months of paid career transition leave.
According to a report by French publication La Lettre, the programme could affect around 100 of Meta’s approximately 300 employees in France. The company has not disclosed which departments or job roles are likely to be affected.
The offer is part of a broader trend among technology companies, with Google and Microsoft also introducing voluntary exit programmes as they reorganise operations and redirect resources towards AI.
What Does Meta’s Voluntary Exit Package Include?
The proposed severance package includes several financial and career transition benefits:
- Severance pay: Employees opting for voluntary departure would receive 2.15 months of salary for every year of service.
- Paid mobility leave: Employees would receive up to 10 months of leave at 80% of their gross salary.
- Career transition support: Meta is reportedly considering additional assistance for employees interested in professional retraining or starting their own businesses.
For example, an employee with 10 years of service could receive compensation equivalent to 21.5 months of salary under the proposed severance formula, in addition to the mobility leave benefits.
Employees interested in the programme were given November 5, 2026, as the application deadline.
Meta Uses a Different Approach From Google and Microsoft
Unlike the individual voluntary departure options introduced by Google and Microsoft, Meta’s French programme reportedly follows a collective contractual termination procedure known as RCC (Rupture Conventionnelle Collective).
Under French labour law, this mechanism allows companies to negotiate voluntary workforce reductions with trade unions through a collective agreement.
The arrangement does not require companies to establish economic grounds for formal layoffs. However, it involves negotiations and agreed terms between employers and employee representatives.
Meta has used a similar mechanism in France before. In 2023, a collective agreement was expected to result in the departure of 88 employees from its French workforce, which then comprised around 350 people.
Meta’s Workforce Restructuring Coincides With AI Investments
The voluntary exit programme comes amid significant changes to Meta’s global workforce strategy.
In April 2026, the company announced plans to eliminate approximately 8,000 positions, representing around 10% of its global workforce. In May, it also decided to reassign approximately 7,000 employees to roles connected with AI.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously highlighted how AI tools could allow individual employees to complete projects that previously required entire teams.
The company is simultaneously increasing investments in AI infrastructure. Meta expects capital expenditure of $135 billion to $145 billion in 2026, primarily for data centres and digital infrastructure.
Big Tech Increasingly Turns to Voluntary Exit Schemes
Meta’s move follows similar initiatives by other technology companies.
Google has extended voluntary exit offers to employees in five countries, including France. Microsoft has introduced a buyout programme covering approximately 60,000 eligible employees across the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom.
These developments indicate how major technology companies are using workforce restructuring and voluntary separation programmes while shifting investment towards AI development.
However, Meta has not confirmed whether it plans to introduce similar voluntary exit offers in other countries.
