After two decades at Microsoft, 62-year-old Joe Friend never expected his career to end with an abrupt layoff. In May 2025, the veteran manager, who had been serving as Director of Product Management, was unexpectedly let go — a decision that left him shocked and forced him to reconsider his retirement plans.
“It feels like a betrayal,” Joe told Business Insider. “I wasn’t surprised by the layoffs, but I was surprised to get caught up in them.” He had a strong performance record and managed a team of nine, yet when the cuts hit, 15 employees from his department, including four managers, were let go.
Retirement Plans Disrupted
Joe had intended to work until 65 so that his unvested stock could continue to vest after retirement. “I planned to figure out what I wanted to do over the next three years. Then suddenly, I’m at the doorstep and have to make that decision now,” he said.
Joe’s journey with Microsoft began in 1994 as a Lead Program Manager on the Microsoft Word team. He left briefly to work for an NGO in Indonesia but returned in 2003. After 14 years, he left in 2017 due to burnout, only to rejoin in 2018, attracted by what he described as a “new cultural shift.”
The Unspoken Deal Broken
Microsoft offered Joe pay through July along with a severance package nearly equivalent to a year’s salary. While financially secure, the emotional impact has been significant. “It feels like the unspoken deal is broken,” he said. “If you perform well, you used to be rewarded and secure. I don’t think that’s true anymore.”
Moving Beyond Big Tech
Looking ahead, Joe plans to step away from the corporate tech world. “I think I’d rather earn $50,000 a year doing something I love,” he shared. “It doesn’t mean I won’t work again — but it definitely won’t be in Big Tech.”
For Joe, the layoff was more than just a career setback; it marked the end of an era of loyalty and trust in a company he once considered home.
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