After 31 years at Microsoft, employee learns in a surprise meeting he is laid off with 6,000 others

The ongoing wave of layoffs in the tech industry continues to affect even long-serving employees, with Mike Kostersitz, a Microsoft veteran of nearly 31 years, among those recently impacted. As reported by Business Insider, Kostersitz was laid off in May this year, marking the end of more than three decades at the company.

He revealed that he, along with 120 other colleagues, was informed that their positions had been eliminated.

Kostersitz stated that just a day earlier, he had attended a meeting with his manager that he believed had gone well, only to be summoned to a high-priority meeting the next morning where he learned he had been laid off. His name appeared on the same list as his manager’s, as part of the wider 6,000 job cuts at Microsoft.

The decision came as a complete surprise to him after spending the majority of his career at the tech giant. Since his dismissal, he said he has been actively interviewing with other companies, including Nike and Nvidia, and while the interviews have gone positively, he has yet to secure a new role.

Kostersitz admitted that his first reaction was one of anger and disappointment towards Microsoft, particularly because of the impersonal manner in which the layoffs were handled. He said he had hoped for a more direct conversation from a senior figure after dedicating over three decades to the firm.

Despite the abrupt end to his tenure, he acknowledged that Microsoft’s “55 and 15” policy has provided him with some financial relief. The policy allows employees aged 55 or older with at least 15 years of service to retain their stock grants after termination. He said this has helped sustain him financially while he continues to search for work, though he recognises that the benefit will not last indefinitely.

The 60-year-old explained that while he originally intended to retire around age 67, the layoff has forced him to consider early retirement as a real possibility. He said that technically, it was feasible, but it would require significant lifestyle adjustments.

Even with his vast experience, Kostersitz admitted that securing a new position has proven difficult in the current job market. He described the hiring landscape as “a game of endurance,” adding that those who can hold out the longest are the ones most likely to find opportunities.

His story, shared with Business Insider, underscores the uncertainty facing even long-term employees as the tech industry continues to undergo widespread restructuring.