BMW’s internal HR portal crashes after more than 40,000 employees get access to voluntary layoff programme
Written By Bobins Vayalil Abraham
The planned 8,000 job cuts by German auto major BMW got off to a rocky start as the internal HR portal reportedly crashed due to a surge in traffic. According to reports, BMW’s HR department launched the voluntary severance programme on Thursday, giving eligible employees access to personalised offers through the company’s internal system.
Automobilwoche reported that around 40,000 eligible employees were granted access to the portal to review their personal severance offers. Employees complained that the internal portal’s status checks were running slowly or going dark for stretches.
A BMW spokesperson told Automobilwoche that requests rose sharply after employees received notifications about their offers.
“As expected, employees were very curious to view the emails, and consequently, usage was very high after they were sent,” the spokesperson said.
The company did not disclose further technical details.
In June, BMW had announced the voluntary redundancy programme as part of its plan to cut 8,000 jobs in Germany by the end of 2027. The job cuts are unlikely to affect BMW’s production lines as the programme is open only to those in administrative roles. BMW also plans to cut departments and associated management positions by 20% by mid-2027.
According to BMW Blog, the voluntary severance programme is part of a broader effort to reduce costs and streamline its organisation by 2027. Under the programme, eligible employees can review their individual offers before deciding whether to leave.
BMW is not alone when it comes to job cuts, as several global automakers and suppliers have announced layoffs and restructuring plans in 2026. Several factors, including soaring costs, the slow transition to EVs, US tariffs, and rising competition from upstart Chinese manufacturers, have been blamed for the cost-cutting efforts by the likes of Volkswagen Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Nissan, General Motors, Renault, and more.
Volkswagen Group is likely to roll out the largest job cuts, with around 100,000 positions globally. In addition to this, VW is also planning potential factory closures in Germany, the first such move in its history.
Porsche, which is also a part of Volkswagen Group, has announced plans to eliminate around 9,000 positions by 2035, including 5,000 additional reductions agreed in 2026.
Another European auto-maker, Renault, is on track to cut 15%–20% of its engineering workforce, potentially affecting up to 2,400 employees. In the US, General Motors General Motors has cut more than 1700 employees in 2026.
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