Microsoft veteran returns to office after layoff, worked 23 years in the company

Amid sweeping layoffs at Microsoft this year, a surprising story of loyalty has emerged — one that reflects both the human side of tech layoffs and the changing relationship employees have with legacy employers.

Freddy Kristiansen, a former Principal Product Manager, was among the thousands laid off by Microsoft in May 2025 as part of its ongoing global restructuring. The 59-year-old veteran had spent 23 years with the company — having joined in 2002 when Microsoft acquired his former employer Navision. Yet, despite being laid off, Kristiansen still visits the office and continues engaging with colleagues and product teams.

“I was laid off a couple of weeks ago after 23 years at Microsoft. Yet here I am, back in the office,” Kristiansen told Business Insider. “It might sound strange to show up at the office after being let go, but I still feel committed to the products, the people using them, and my colleagues.”

Laid Off but Still on Payroll Kristiansen remains on Microsoft’s payroll due to Denmark’s employment laws. As an employee of over nine years, he is entitled to a six-month notice period — meaning that while he has been relieved of his duties, he is still officially employed until the end of November. He is also set to receive three months of severance pay after that period.

The former product lead noted that he still retains access to his company laptop and office space. “I still have an office access card and my company laptop, at the latest until December when I’m officially terminated. In the meantime, I’m still keen to be helpful,” he said.

One Big Transition Kristiansen had spent decades at Microsoft working across several teams, but one of his most notable contributions came recently: the development of AL-Go for GitHub, a tool designed to help Microsoft partners adopt DevOps practices without having to dive deep into the complex technical architecture. “It was one of the biggest projects I worked on,” he recalled.

While Kristiansen is one of the few former employees choosing to return to the workplace after being laid off, he said that for some, the news of job cuts was deeply unsettling. “Some of my colleagues were devastated. They are worried about what the future might hold,” he said.

Despite the unexpected layoff, Kristiansen admitted that the news came with a “slight sense of relief.” “I’m nearing 60. For the past decade, I’ve worked very hard and put in long hours. However, I’m at the stage of life where I’m no longer interested in working 60-hour weeks. It felt like the right time to finally pursue my long-overdue dream of doing work on my own terms,” he explained.

In fact, during a wave of layoffs in 2023, he had anonymously submitted a question during a company-wide meeting asking whether Microsoft would consider voluntary redundancies — a possible indication that he had already been contemplating the next chapter.

More Cuts Microsoft’s restructuring has led to the elimination of over 6,000 roles so far this year, with divisions across gaming, Azure, Teams, and hardware affected. According to Bloomberg, more cuts are likely in July, with a focus on sales and customer-facing roles. In April, the company had already hinted at shifting some of its software sales operations to third-party vendors, especially for small and mid-sized business customers.

Kristiansen’s story underscores a rare mix of deep institutional loyalty and personal reinvention. While most laid-off workers typically distance themselves from their former employer, his decision to remain connected — even unofficially — adds a human dimension to the massive changes sweeping through the tech industry.

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