The newly merged Skydance Corporation has mandated employees return to the office for five days a week and is offering a Voluntary Buyout Program (VBO).
Earlier this month, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery completed a $111 billion merger and now operate under Skydance. Paramount Games Studio and WB Games were combined into a single unit managed by Tony Driscoll.
In an email to staff seen by Vertical Slice, Skydance CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said they believe a five-day in-office policy across the entire company “is in the best interest” of its staff.
“We’ve seen the benefits firsthand at Paramount, and we want every part of Skydance to share in them,” the email read. “The best ideas come from people in the same room, sharing perspectives, challenging one another and solving problems. Being together isn’t just about showing up. It’s about inspiring one another, learning and coaching, forming friendships and having access to the casual conversations that spark something great.”
Vertical Slice reports that the return-to-office policy will be “rolled out in phases based on location,” and that employees will receive “ample notice” before any changes are made.
It also stated that Skydance “may revisit remote roles” as the process takes place, and that those in fully remote positions will not be subject “to immediate change”.
Alongside this announcement, Skydance outlined the terms of its VBO.
“As we bring our teams together, we recognise that not everyone will see their future here and we respect that,” the email read. “To give eligible employees the option to move on in a way that works for them, we are introducing a Voluntary Buyout Program.”
Earlier this week, Microsoft offered voluntary exit to up to 60,000 employees, including Xbox staff.
In the initial merger announcement, Skydance CEO David Ellison stated that the merger will require the company to make “difficult decisions,” including “changes and impacts.”
“Bringing together two companies of this size and complexity will require difficult decisions. There will be changes, and there will be impacts. I’m not going to pretend otherwise,” said Ellison.