Workspan Daily News Bytes for April 24, 2026

Microsoft Introduces Voluntary Retirement Program

For the first time, tech giant Microsoft is offering a one-time voluntary retirement program to its workers. According to reports, an estimated 7% of Microsoft’s 125,000-person U.S. workforce, or about 8,750 employees, would be eligible based on a formula that accounts for their years at the company and age.

The program is open to U.S. employees at Level 67 — the equivalent of senior director — and below, excluding those on sales incentive plans, whose years of service plus age total 70 or more. Eligible employees will be notified May 7 and will have 30 days to decide.

“Many of these employees have spent years and, in some cases, decades shaping Microsoft into what it is today,” Microsoft chief people officer Amy Coleman wrote in a memo to employees. “Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support.”

Rising AI Adoption Leads to More Productivity, Concerns

According to new data from research firm Gallup, 50% of employed American adults are using artificial intelligence (AI) in their role at least a few times a year, up from 46% last quarter. Frequent AI use is also increasing, with 13% of employees now saying they use AI daily and 28% reporting they use it a few times a week or more.

Within organizations implementing AI, 65% of surveyed employees said this technology has improved their productivity and efficiency, regardless of how often they personally use it. In addition, 16% of respondents said the effect has been extremely positive, while fewer than 1 in 10 said AI has had a negative impact on their work.

Among workers who use AI at least a few times a year or more, those in leadership roles are most likely to report strong productivity gains: 21% of leaders said AI has had an extremely positive impact on their productivity, compared with 13% of individual contributors.

Despite these gains, worker concerns about job displacement have grown alongside expanded AI adoption and organizational shifts: 18% of all U.S. workers said it is very or somewhat likely their job will be eliminated within the next five years due to AI or automation. Among those working in organizations that have adopted AI, that concern rises to 23%.

Deloitte Rolls Back on Some Employee Benefits

As reported by BusinessInsider, consulting and accounting firm Deloitte will cut benefits for U.S. workers in internal support roles, such as administration, IT support and finance. Expected to go into effect Jan. 1, 2027, the reduced or cut benefits include parental leave, annual paid time off (PTO), a pension plan and in vitro fertilization (IVF) funding.

The benefit shakeup is part of a wider talent restructuring that Deloitte announced internally in January, according to BusinessInsider. As part of the changes, the firm told employees they would be getting new job titles.

“Deloitte US is modernizing its talent architecture to provide a more tailored experience reflective of our professionals’ broad range of skills and the work they do serving our clients,” a Deloitte spokesperson told Business Insider. “Benefits are regularly updated and will be tailored for a small subset of professionals to better align with the marketplace.”

The number of impacted workers is unknown, but BusinessInsider reported the firm employs about 181,000 people in the U.S.

Growing Healthcare Costs Among Top CFO Concerns

With the average health benefit cost per employee expected to top $18,500 this year, chief financial officers (CFOs) and other finance professionals indicated in a new Mercer survey healthcare costs are at least a top-five concern relative to other operating costs. For 33% of survey respondents, they rank in the top three.

Only about 1 in 4 of the surveyed CFOs noted in the consulting firm’s survey that their organization was able to absorb the cost increases over the past two years without any of these business impacts.

When asked how business has been impacted by growth in health benefit costs over the past two years, CFOs said:

Reduced spending on other benefits (38%)
Slower wage growth (36%)
Increased prices for products/services (26%)
Reduced hiring/layoffs (22%)
Reduced investment (19%)

When asked what types of cost controls they would like to see in their health programs over the next few years, 45% of CFOs favored a strong emphasis on plan design changes, such as raising deductibles. Thirty-eight percent supported a strong emphasis on raising employees’ premium contributions.

Mercer experts cautioned HR leaders and benefits managers: “As investment decisions come under closer scrutiny amid tightening budgets, it will be essential to have metrics in place to measure program performance and demonstrate value.”

What Are the Biggest Red Flags for Job Seekers?

Sixty percent of U.S. workers won’t apply to a job that doesn’t include a salary range, according to a Job Search Deal-Breakers Report by employment website Monster.com.

The surveyed job seekers identified several other factors that would discourage them from applying for a role. They include:

Requirement for unpaid assignments or excessive take-home work (59%)
Negative company reviews or reputation (56%)
Unclear job description (51%)
Unrealistic role requirements, such as “entry-level” roles requiring more than five years of experience (46%)
Overly long or complicated application processes (45%)
Poor candidate experience in previous interactions (26%)

Figures and Facts of the Week

100 million: The dollar amount coffee chain Starbucks plans to spend on a new Nashville office. According to reports, the company is offering about 100 Seattle-based employees up to $2,000 in travel costs for those who wish to move to Nashville. For those who decline, Starbucks offered retention bonuses starting at $15,000 to stay through the end of 2026.
8,000: The number of people Meta said it planned to layoff as the tech company pushes deeper into AI, according to a CNN report. The figure equates to about 10% of its workforce. The layoffs are expected to start on May 20. Affected U.S. employees will receive 16 weeks of base pay along with two weeks for every year of employment; international packages will be similar. The company also announced it is closing around 6,000 open roles.
75: The percentage of U.S. workers who haven’t experienced job changes due to AI, according to a Future of Work report by career website FlexJobs. Meanwhile, only 6% of the workers surveyed said their role has changed due to AI.
64: The percentage of Americans who feel confident they have enough money to live comfortably throughout retirement, according to a 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research.
53: The percentage of U.S. employees who have missed work due to caregiving challenges, according to a new report by online caregiving marketplace Care.com.
47: The percentage of recent college graduates who said AI has impacted hiring in their field, according to a 2026 Graduate Report by employment website ZipRecruiter.
23: The percentage of global remote workers who wouldn’t return to the office regardless of any additional compensation offered, according to a new survey by career platform JobLeads.

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