Microsoft confirms fresh round of layoffs, Canadians reportedly affected

After laying off approximately 10,000 employees in January, Microsoft is pulling out the axe once again.

According to news outlets, including CNBC, the tech giant filed a notice on July 10 — stating that it plans to cut around 276 jobs in its home state of Washington.

“Organizational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business,” a company spokesperson told CNBC in an email.

“We will continue to prioritize and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners.”

While Microsoft confirmed that it’s cutting dozens of jobs in the U.S., several Canadian employees have reached out to Samfiru Tumarkin LLP — claiming that they were let go earlier this week.

Our experienced employment lawyers are following up with affected staff to better understand the situation.

In 2022, Microsoft employed nearly 5,000 full-time employees across Canada, according to a news release.

Major tech layoffs continue

The latest reduction at Microsoft comes amid a flurry of tech sector layoffs in 2023.

Other big names, including Ritual, Spotify, Grab, Lyft, Dropbox, Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, Dell, and Clearco, are significantly scaling back their staffing levels as they continue to navigate challenging economic conditions.

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Termination agreements for Microsoft Canada staff

In Canada, non-unionized employees at Microsoft are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing or corporate restructuring.

This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.

Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay, depending on a number of factors.

LEARN MORE
• Severance for technology industry employees
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance packages in mass layoffs

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains what rights employees have if they are being fired or let go on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Before you accept any severance offer, have an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP review it and your employment contract.

We can tell you if what you have been provided is fair and how to get proper severance if it falls short of what you are actually owed.

If you don’t receive the full amount, which happens often, you have been wrongfully dismissed and are entitled to compensation.

In some cases, employers pressure staff into accepting poor severance packages, such as imposing a deadline for accepting the offer.

Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their dismissal to pursue a claim for full severance pay.