Ford Motor Co. has started offering voluntary buyouts to some employees in the U.S. as part of the automaker's plan to cut approximately 1,000 positions and reconfigure staffing for growth.
In a statement, the automaker said the move will enable its wide-ranging Ford+ growth plan, details of which it divulged at its Capital Markets Day investor event in May.
That plan is, among other things, supposed to aid the company as it delves further into solidifying digital services and electric vehicle development, with the latter an area it plans to invest $30 billion into by 2025.
"We have offered a voluntary separation program to eligible U.S. salaried employees in select skill teams," the company said in a statement. "This action is to further enable us to match our business priorities with the critical skills needed to turn around our automotive operations and deliver the Ford+ plan."
The automaker indicated it is "reshaping" its work force to match skills and positions it needs to transform its business.
"Staffing adjustments, including hiring and separations, are part of a multiyear process to align talent with our cycle and service plan and to turn around our automotive operations," a Ford spokesperson said in a statement.
The buyout program includes six months of salary and six months of health care benefits for workers who opt in, per Ford Authority, which first reported the news of the buyouts on Thursday.
