microsoft-worker-of-31-years-thought-his-assembly-went-effectively.-next-day-he-was-laid-off microsoft-worker-of-31-years-thought-his-assembly-went-effectively.-next-day-he-was-laid-off

Microsoft worker of 31 years thought his assembly went effectively. Next day he was laid off

Published on: Nov 06, 2025 12:18 pm IST

A person who had been laid off from Microsoft after 31 years felt strongly that the information of his termination ought to have been delivered in particular person.

The tech layoff wave is hitting exhausting, and even workers with a long time of loyal service are being impacted. One such story is that of Mike Kostersitz, who was laid off from Microsoft after almost 31 years of working on the tech large. Since shedding his job in May of this yr, he has been looking for a brand new one.

Mike Kostersitz, 60, mentioned his layoff from Microsoft got here as a shock. (LinkedIn)

“Me and 120 other anonymous faces got told our jobs had been eliminated,” Kostersitz advised Business Insider. He recalled that in May, he had a gathering with the supervisor, which he thought went effectively. However, the subsequent morning, Kostersitz was marked for a high-priority assembly, the place he acquired the dangerous information. He, together with 6,000 others, was laid off. The record additionally included his supervisor.

Also Read: Techie laid off from Microsoft after 14 years shares how she landed a job at Meta

“Layoff got here as a shock”

Kostersitz shared that the sudden layoff got here as a complete shock after spending 31 years on the similar firm. Since being laid off, he had interviewed at sure firms, together with Nike and Nvidia. The techie shared that the interviews went effectively, however he nonetheless hasn’t secured a job.

The preliminary response:

Like anybody in his scenario would, his first intuition was to be indignant at Microsoft, an organization the place he had spent three a long time of his life. He additionally wished the information of his layoff had been delivered personally.

“After 31 years, you’ll anticipate at the least your supervisor or your VP or any person to return to you and say, ‘Hey Mike, that is going to occur and right here is why’,” he advised the outlet.

However, he’s grateful for Microsoft’s “55 and 15” coverage. Under it, workers who’re 55 or above and have been with the corporate for at the least 15 years can retain their inventory grants even after termination.

This helps him financially whereas he appears for a brand new job. However, Kostersitz is conscious that this cushion received’t final without end.

Originally, he deliberate to retire round 67, however this sudden change in his skilled life has made the 60-year-old think about early retirement as an possibility.

Also Read: Microsoft Teams will quickly inform your boss if you happen to’re working from residence

“Technically, we could retire,” he mentioned. “Would it be a huge change of lifestyle? Absolutely.”

Though he has expertise, he’s nonetheless going through difficulties to find employment within the present job market. “They said it’s a game of chicken right now. The person who has the longer breath and can stick it out longer will get the job.”

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