Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) will widen a voluntary exit program for US employees starting October 1, according to an email circulating on social media that offers at least six weeks of severance. The company has not made a public statement to confirm or deny it.
The message, which opens “Managers,” says the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) now covers more eligible groups. It pitches the VSP as a substitute for a Performance Improvement Plan, open to US employees who finished documented coaching without meeting performance targets.
According to the email, employees who qualify and win the required approvals can leave voluntarily and collect a six-week payout or the standard formula, whichever is larger. The email tells managers they must meet coaching requirements and give employees a fair chance to improve before they consider the VSP. It says the program does not replace coaching and feedback, and that required approvals and support from an Employee Relations Consultant are part of the process. It also points managers to a recorded training on eligibility, approvals, and documentation.
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Oracle’s workforce fell from 162,000 to 141,000 in the fiscal year that ended May 31, a drop of 21,000 or about 13%, Quartz reported from the company’s annual filing. Oracle said AI adoption contributed. The figure measures net headcount, not the number of people laid off.
Read: Oracle Cuts Up to 30,000 Jobs to Fund AI Infrastructure Push
Termination emails were sent on March 31. Analysts and media reports put the cuts at up to 30,000, a number Oracle has not confirmed. TechCrunch reported that the standard package paid a base of four weeks plus one week per year of service, up to 26 weeks, and left unvested stock unaccelerated. Oracle declined to negotiate with laid-off workers who petitioned for more.
Read: Oracle Starts New Layoff Round Six Months After Its Last One
The company began another round of layoffs on September 14, about six months later, through a 6 a.m. email to affected staff. They have not confirmed how many jobs the round cut.
Read: Oracle Names New CFO With $29.7 Million Package Amid Mass Layoffs and $50 Billion AI Buildout
In the same month, it raised its 2026 restructuring estimate by about $700 million to roughly $2.8 billion in a September filing. The company said the increase covers additional actions it expects to take, including severance and contract terminations.
Capital spending reached $28.5 billion in the quarter that ended August 31, up from $8.5 billion a year earlier, as Oracle builds data centers. Oracle shares are down about 27% this year.
