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BY Pavithra Mohan

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Microsoft is trying to cull its workforce by dangling an offer that might be hard for some employees to refuse. This week, the tech giant announced voluntary buyouts for 60,000 people, which is more than a quarter of its workforce.

Leadership has framed this as a way for employees to have more agency over their future at the company. “The Voluntary Exit Offer reflects an important part of how we’re evolving our approach to change: creating greater flexibility and, where possible, more ways for employees to shape their next chapter,” chief people officer Amy Coleman wrote in a blog post. For employees who were already entertaining the idea of an outside opportunity, she said this could present “a new choice to make that transition now with support.”

It’s not the first time Microsoft has offered buyouts to trim its head count. Earlier this year, the company used another euphemism to nudge thousands of employees to leave.…