In a leaked memo obtained by GM-Trucks.com, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, asks US employees to consider a “Voluntary Separation Program” as the company shifts to cost-cutting.
The undated memo details GM’s plan to reduce $2-billion in “structural” costs over the next two years. In the document, labeled as “intended for internal audiences only”, Barra encourages North American employees to consider voluntarily separating from the company so that they may “explore a new industry, make a career change, further a personal business venture…or decide [they] can retire early.”
The VSP, or “Voluntary Separation Program,” will be available to all “US Classified Employees” that are “level 5-9” with at least “five years of service as of June 30th, 2023.” All Global executives with a least two years of service as of the same date are also eligible. The program is “strictly voluntary” but Barra goes on to state that the program is designed to avoid “the potential for involuntary actions” in the future.
The memo also goes on to state the company will be “reducing vehicle complexity and expanding the use of shared subsystems between internal combustion engine and future electric vehicle programs.”
Zane Merva is the Executive Editor of GM-Trucks.com and the President of the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA). A veteran automotive journalist with over 26 years of experience, Zane is a designated ‘Car Talk’ Expert and has been a contributor to The Boston Globe. He possesses a unique evaluative perspective, having road-tested more than 2,000 vehicles across every major manufacturer. While he is a recognized authority on General Motors truck platforms—including the Silverado, Sierra, and Colorado—his expertise is grounded in decades of deep competitive analysis that few in the industry can match. His commentary has been featured by major OEMs and media outlets, including Hyundai and PR Newswire