The Museum of Modern Art is offering a voluntary buyout programme for employees considering retirement, ahead of a major building project. News of the decision, which leaked following a recent all-staff meeting, came as a surprise for many.

Last week, MoMA received a $100m donation from the producer and collector David Geffen, and a wing of MoMA's new expansion will be named after him. 

Of the buyouts, MoMA said in a statement: 'The Museum of Modern Art is offering its employees who are 55 years of age or older, and who have at least 9 years of service as of July 31, the opportunity to participate in a voluntary retirement program this summer. The Museum is in a transitional stage in terms of the scope of its operations, which are at a reduced level during the renovation period. The program is entirely voluntary and is intended to benefit staff who are considering retirement this year.'

This is the second New York museum to announce changes to staff in the face of an expensive expansion. Last week, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which recently took over the former home of the Whitney Museum of American Art as an extra exhibition space, said it would correct a $10m deficit this year with a 24-month restructuring that is likely to include staff cuts.